The European Commission recommended this Wednesday to the Council to open formal negotiations for the accession of Ukraine to the European Union (EU), given the efforts made by Kiev to meet requirements, but imposed conditions such as the fight against corruption.
“Today is a historic day because the Commission recommends that the Council open formal negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova,” announced the president of the community executive, Ursula von der Leyen, at a press conference in Brussels.
The statements come on the day the institution announces that “in light of the results achieved since June 2022 in the field of political criteria, within the framework of the seven stages and subsequently, the Commission considers that Ukraine sufficiently meets the criteria regarding the stability of the institutions that guarantee democracy.the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities, established by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993, provided that it continues its reform efforts and meets the remaining requirements of the seven steps.”
“On this basis, the Commission recommends that the Council begin negotiations with Ukraine,” states the document, which nevertheless imposes four conditions, one of which refers to the fight against corruption.
“Ukraine must continue fighting corruption, building a new history of investigations and convictions for corruption. “The Commission will continuously monitor progress and compliance in all areas related to the opening of negotiations and will report to the Council by March 2024,” Brussels said in the document.
The European Commission further considered that Moldova is ready to start negotiationssince the country met the criteria to guarantee democratic stability and the rule of law.
“In line with the results obtained since June 2022 according to political criteria, within a nine-step framework and beyond, the Commission considers that Moldova sufficiently meets the criteria related to the stability of the institutions that guarantee democracy, the State of law, human rights and respect for the protection of minorities,” adds the European Commission in the report.
Despite not being in the same situation as Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen recognized that Moldova “it also suffers its consequences”: “Moldova hosts a large number of refugees from Ukraine and, like Ukraine, has made great efforts to reform, for example, the judicial system, and has significantly increased work to combat corruption.”
Source: TSF
