Ukraine has fulfilled all requirements for granting candidate status, – European Commission

The European Commission noted that in the process of preparing for accession to the EU, Ukraine “has fulfilled all the steps” defined in the European Commission's 2022 opinion on granting candidate status.

This is evidenced by the EC's draft report on Ukraine within the framework of the so-called “enlargement package”, fragments of which were made available to journalists.

Among other things, the document positively notes Ukraine's efforts to improve the rights of national minorities, despite the fact that Hungary considers Ukraine's progress insufficient. Thus, the EC positively evaluates the changes to the legislation on minorities adopted in December 2023, while Brussels even went so far as to confirm support for the Ukrainian law even without its analysis by the Venice Commission, according to sources of “European Pravda”.

“Although we note that the Venice Commission has not updated its recommendations, the European Commission believes that Ukraine has implemented the necessary measures,” sources of “EP” cite the report.

It is worth noting that the Ukrainian expert community supported this law after it was amended in accordance with the demands of experts, including the European Pravda. However, the Hungarian government and structures close to it continued to make claims against Ukraine, not agreeing to implement the recommendation.

The European Commission also noted several times that “restrictions on fundamental rights related to martial law remain generally proportionate.”

Radio Liberty, which has reviewed the EC report, also reports on its contents. The publication notes quotes that Ukraine “continued to promote integrity and merit in the judiciary” and “strengthen the anti-corruption institutional framework and increase the results of law enforcement in high-level corruption cases.”

According to the report, despite progress in fundamental reforms, “further efforts are needed.”

"Ukraine should continue to focus on further developing robust law enforcement expertise in high-level corruption cases… and also strengthen the fight against organised crime," the document recommends.

The European Commission also calls on Ukraine to work on further implementing the updated legislation on the rights of national minorities in close cooperation with them.

The document also notes the need to improve reforms in the field of public administration and decentralisation.

"Measures to support the repair and reconstruction of infrastructure will be key to a full economic recovery, especially in the energy sector, which requires further decentralization and improved governance," the document says.

The European Commission notes Ukraine's ratification of the Rome Statute, stresses the need to align national legislation, and notes that the screening of Ukrainian legislation for compliance with European legislation is “progressing smoothly.”

“If Ukraine fulfills all the conditions, the Commission looks forward to opening the cluster negotiations (negotiation sections. – Ed.), starting from the basics, as soon as possible in 2025,” the European Commission summarized.

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As you know, in December last year, the EU decided to start negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union. Both countries received candidate status for EU accession in June 2022.

Let us recall that in September, the Government Office for the Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration submitted a report to the European Commission within the framework of the EU Enlargement Package 2024, containing updated information on Ukraine's actions on the path to EU membership during April-August.

In February 2024, the government approved the Action Plan for the implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission presented in the previous enlargement report from 2023.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that Ukraine's goal is to be ready to join the European Union no later than the end of 2025.

As is known, in September 2017, Hungary sharply criticized the law “On Education” adopted by the Ukrainian parliament. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Ukraine had stabbed Hungary in the back.

The policy of the official chauvinistic Budapest increasingly resembles a creeping expansion (non-military) of the territory of neighboring Ukraine: illegal issuance of passports, buying the loyalty of the residents of Transcarpathia, creating a language ghetto, as well as an attempt to gain control over critical infrastructure facilities on Ukrainian territory.

Let us also recall that the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, co-chairman of the European Council of External Relations Carl Bildt believes that Hungarian politicians are playing a dirty game against Ukraine.

"The Hungarians have taken to playing dirty domestic politics, as they did several years ago with Slovakia. They are doing the same with Romania. This is nothing more than dirty nationalist politics that Hungary is playing," the politician said.

Without taking into account the historical dimension of the struggle for the establishment and development of the Ukrainian language, criticizing Ukraine for its language policy is incorrect, says Grigory Mesezhnikov, President of the Institute of Public Problems (Bratislava).

According to Ukrainian writer Konstantin Koverznev, the ancestors of many of the modern Hungarians in Transcarpathia are assimilated Rusyn-Ukrainians.

Earlier it became known that the Hungarian government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, is spreading fake news about the EU's migration policy based on a “crazy conspiracy theory.” This was stated in Brussels by Margaritis Schinas, the official representative of the European Commission.

Earlier, the chauvinist Szijjarto also stated that Ukraine should allegedly grant representatives of the Hungarian minority the right to use their language in all areas, including public administration.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted the moral degeneration of Prime Minister Viktor Orban: “We didn't ask for anything special from official Budapest. We didn't even get what everyone else is doing. They are doing it for the sake of peace. “We did not receive the vital transit of defense aid. We did not see moral leadership, we did not see any effort to stop this war.”

Prepared by: Nina Petrovich