11/07/2023 9:30 pm (current 11/07/2023 9:30 pm)
EU likely to recommend talks with Ukraine ©APA/UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE
The European Commission will present its enlargement report to candidate countries on Wednesday. She is likely to recommend the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova – under certain conditions. Some states – including Austria – also demand a clear signal to the Western Balkan states, some of which have been on the EU waiting list for more than ten years. The debate on enlargement is also inextricably linked to the debate on EU reform.
All 27 EU states must unanimously decide to begin accession negotiations. EU heads of state and government could give the starting signal at their summit in Brussels in mid-December. Ukraine and Moldova have been candidates since June 2022. The EU is currently in negotiations with Montenegro, Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia. Bosnia-Herzegovina is a candidate country for membership. Furthermore, Kosovo and Georgia are also awaiting the start signal for accession negotiations, without having official EU candidate status. Talks with Turkey have been suspended for years due to constitutional deficits.