European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, expressed hope that the European Union would commence accession negotiations for both Ukraine and Moldova by the end of this year. She urged not to “disappoint” the aspirations of these two candidate countries.
During an interview with the European Newsroom, which includes European news agencies like AFP, the Maltese official, when questioned about the timeline suggested by European Council President, Charles Michel, for EU enlargement by 2030, stated, “Rather than focusing solely on a date, even though it’s good to have a target, let’s concentrate on kickstarting the accession talks by the end of this year as we hope.” She added, “If Ukraine and Moldova are ready, we can begin the negotiations and take measures gradually, step by step. Each country has its own path, but let’s not let down millions who consider Europe their home.”
Metsola has always been a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s accession to the EU. She was the first official from an EU body to visit Kyiv in April 2022, following Russia’s invasion of the country. In June 2022, the EU granted Ukraine and Moldova a candidate status for membership in a symbolic gesture. Conversely, Georgia was denied this status, with Tbilisi being asked for further reforms.
For the transition to the next phase, which is the opening of accession negotiations, the European Commission has outlined seven criteria for Kyiv, especially enhancing anti-corruption efforts and undertaking judicial reforms. An interim assessment in June indicated that two of these criteria had been met, while the other five showcased “a certain level of progress”. The Commission is set to present a report on the progress made by Ukraine and Moldova by the end of October, before the 27 member states discuss the issue at a summit in Brussels in mid-December.
While these negotiations might take some time to culminate in accession, it’s worth noting that aside from Ukraine, five countries from the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia) and Moldova have also been granted candidate status for accession. Some of them have been in accession talks for over a decade, while negotiations with Turkey have been stalled for several years.
