Brussels opens sixth accession cluster for Ukraine

The European Union has unanimously agreed to open the sixth cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, marking another step forward in their long path toward EU membership, Euronews reports.

EU ambassadors endorsed the common negotiating position during a meeting on Friday, paving the way for the formal opening of cluster six, which covers external relations. Ireland, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, confirmed the decision.

The formal intergovernmental conferences with Ukraine and Moldova will take place separately in Brussels on July 14.

The move builds on momentum generated by Hungary's recent change of government, which ended nearly two years of opposition to Ukraine's accession process. Prime Minister Péter Magyar lifted Budapest's veto in early June, allowing the EU to open cluster one, known as Fundamentals.

Cluster six had been widely viewed as the next logical step because of its relatively limited scope.

The decision leaves four negotiating clusters still to be opened: Internal Market, Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth, Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity, and Resources, Agriculture and Cohesion.

According to the European Commission, both Ukraine and Moldova are technically ready to begin negotiations on all remaining clusters, meaning the pace of the accession process now depends primarily on political agreement among EU member states.

Kyiv has publicly called for all negotiating clusters to be opened before the EU's summer recess, a goal supported by the Commission and a majority of member states.

"It's important that we keep the momentum up," a diplomat said.

However, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has voiced strong reservations about accelerating the process, arguing that doing so would amount to a "fast-tracked accession" and could undermine the accession prospects of the Western Balkan candidates, which have been waiting significantly longer to join the bloc.

As a result, the EU is now expected to postpone consideration of the remaining four clusters until September, when negotiations are likely to resume on a cluster-by-cluster basis.

Once a negotiating cluster is opened, candidate countries proceed to negotiate its individual thematic chapters separately.

By Vafa Guliyeva