European Commission: screening of Ukrainian legislation will last until autumn 2025
Pravda Ukraine
The bilateral screening process which examines whether Ukrainian legislation complies with EU law will continue until autumn 2025.
Source: European Commission spokesperson in a comment to European Pravda
Details: The screening of Ukrainian legislation, which is actually the first stage of accession negotiations, should be completed by autumn this year, he said.
“Ukraine is making steady progress on its way to joining the EU. Ukraine is currently undergoing a bilateral screening process that will last until autumn 2025,” the European Commission spokesman said.
He added that “if Ukraine fulfils all the conditions, the Commission expects to start negotiations on clusters, starting with Cluster 1, ‘Fundamentals’, as soon as possible in 2025.”
On 16 January, the Commission submitted the first screening report on Cluster 1 ‘Fundamentals’ for Ukraine to the EU Council.
The submission of the screening report is the first stage of accession negotiations, during which the Commission explains to the candidate its rights and obligations as a member state (explanatory meetings), and the second stage assesses where the candidate stands in terms of legal alignment and capacity to apply the acquis (bilateral meetings).
“Last week’s screening report concerned Cluster 1, ‘Fundamentals’, which is at the heart of the EU accession negotiations. According to the negotiating framework, it is the first to be opened and the last to be closed in the negotiations,” the European Commission explained.
The screening report will now be discussed with member states in the EU Council as the next step.
“After the EU Council agrees that the criteria for opening the cluster are met, the countries have presented their negotiating positions and the EU has agreed on its negotiating position, an Intergovernmental Conference is organised to officially open the cluster in the negotiations,” said the European Commission spokesperson.
He stressed that the accession negotiations require a unanimous decision by all EU member states.
Background:
- Earlier, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos expressed confidence that the first and thirty-first clusters in the EU membership negotiations with Ukraine would be opened in 2025.
- In December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine aims to open at least two clusters in the EU accession negotiations in 2025, with the maximum goal being all clusters.
- Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration of Ukraine, reported that Ukraine, together with Poland and Denmark, which will preside over the EU Council in 2025, had drawn up a plan to open the accession negotiations.
Support UP or become our patron!