The European Union expects all six clusters within Ukraine's EU accession negotiations to be opened by the end of the current year, 2026. This was stated by EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova during a meeting with journalists. According to her, Ukraine has opened four of the six clusters this year alone, and Brussels "strongly hopes and still expects" to open the remaining two this year as well.
Four of the six clusters already open
As of November 3, 2026, the European Union has opened four of the six clusters under Ukraine's accession negotiation process. Mathernova emphasized that the disappointment previously caused by the blocking of Ukraine's path to the EU "no longer exists," and progress in enlargement has become not only theoretical but also practical. Thus, the key issue for the coming months remains the opening of the two remaining clusters, which, according to the ambassador's assessment, should happen by the end of the year.
European Commission report on November 4: Ukraine among the leaders
Mathernova pointed out that on November 4, the European Commission will release an important enlargement report, which is expected to emphasize that Ukraine is among the four leading countries on the path to joining the European Union. This document will serve as another indicator of the reform pace and Kyiv's standing compared to other candidates.
«Not a single rollback» in reforms
Commenting on the reform dynamics, the EU ambassador stated that there is "not a single rollback" across various sectors. According to her, the degree of progress varies: in some areas it is "disappointing" and termed "limited," in others it is good, but Brussels records no backward movement in any sector. Mathernova considered this circumstance important for assessing the overall process.
Context: From the first cluster to an intergovernmental commission with Hungary
The first negotiation cluster was opened in June 2026 at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg; at the same time, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos expressed hope to open the remaining clusters as early as July, although some observers pointed to a lack of time. Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi announced that in November, Ukraine and Hungary will organize the work of an intergovernmental commission to deal with economic issues, the protection of minority rights, and more.
