Several European Union (EU) countries, including France, want the EU to begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova before the end of June, they indicated before the start of a ministerial meeting on Tuesday in Brussels.
This meeting will be “an opportunity to express France’s support for Moldova and Ukraine in their path towards EU membership […]and to call for the effective opening of negotiations before the end of the Belgian presidency of the European Union, indicated the French Minister for European Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.
The Belgian presidency ends on June 30 and Hungary will take over until the end of the year. However, Budapest considers that the conditions are not met to launch these negotiations and has sought on several occasions to delay Ukraine’s integration process into the EU.
Ministers from Sweden, Ireland and Finland, among others, have also expressed support for opening negotiations before the end of June.
The heads of state and government of the European Union had already paved the way for accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova in mid-December. But for these to begin, member states still need to unanimously adopt the negotiating mandate, with Hungary remaining the main obstacle.
The President of the European Council Charles Michel also expressed the hope of being able to hold the first negotiating meeting during the Belgian presidency.
The 27 are due to meet at a summit on June 27 and 28 in Brussels.
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