Ukraine's Dpty PM: Important that Ukraine, EC continue work within negotiation clusters de facto even if they aren't formally opened
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Taras Kachka, stressed the importance of Ukraine and the European Commission (EC) continuing to make de facto progress within the negotiation clusters even where those clusters have not been formally opened.
"Finding unanimity among 27 EU member states is challenging. However, it is important that, despite the positions of some countries, Ukraine and the European Commission continue to move de facto within the negotiation clusters, even if they are not formally opened," the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration quoted Kachka as saying after his participation in the Balkan Integration Forum.
Kachka said Ukraine expects member states to support an approach that will allow the European Commission to continue working on measures identified during the screening process.
"This is a technocratic approach that will preserve momentum and allow us to move forward in parallel with efforts to find agreements on the formal opening of the clusters," he added.
As reported, on November 4 the European Commission published its Enlargement Package 2025 report. Ukraine received its best assessment in three years: each of the 36 chapters received a positive outcome. The report states that Ukraine is consistently advancing in implementing legislation in line with EU standards. The European Commission confirmed readiness to open negotiation clusters 1, 2 and 6.
Kachka said the Commission’s enlargement report shows Ukraine is posting record progress across most reform areas. In particular, reform momentum has accelerated (improved progress) in 15 negotiation chapters, progress is at a high level in 12 chapters ("good progress"), and no chapter shows a deterioration in the overall readiness assessment for EU accession. Overall assessment scores increased in 11 chapters. He also said the Commission’s report indicates that completing Ukraine’s accession negotiations by 2028 is a realistic objective.
The deputy prime minister allowed that, if Hungary objects to opening the clusters, the European Union may decide to proceed with all negotiation work without waiting for the formal opening of the clusters.