Negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union are preparing to move to a new level. The next stage of integration could be the opening of a cluster dedicated to the internal market. This was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a press conference.

Timelines Depend on Kyiv's Readiness

The head of the European Commission emphasized that the pace of opening negotiation blocks depends directly on the level of preparation of the candidate country in each specific area. Answering journalists' questions about when the remaining four clusters would be opened, von der Leyen gave a direct answer: "as soon as possible".

However, she noted that different countries approach negotiations with different levels of readiness. In the case of Ukraine, the situation is favorable: Kyiv has already fulfilled a significant part of the obligations related to the "Internal Market" cluster.

Work Already Done

Ursula von der Leyen recalled the Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement currently in force between Ukraine and the EU, as well as the Ukraine Facility program, which links investments to the implementation of reforms. According to the European Commission President, it is precisely regarding the second cluster that one can speak of its imminent opening, as the country has already done most of the necessary work.

"Ukraine has already fulfilled a significant part of the conditions, so I believe that this cluster is ready to be opened," von der Leyen concluded.

Negotiation Timeline

The process of Ukraine's European integration is moving in stages. Here are the key milestones:

  • On June 15, Ukraine officially opened the first negotiation cluster, marking the start of the practical stage of negotiations on future EU membership.
  • Subsequently, Ukraine and the European Union began negotiations on Cluster 6 "External Relations", opening work on another key direction.
  • Currently, the focus is on Cluster 2 "Internal Market", the opening of which, according to the head of the European Commission, could happen in the near future.