The bloc’s officials had previously said widespread
corruption was one of the main obstacles preventing Kiev from joining
The
European Commission will officially recommend starting membership
negotiations with Ukraine on Wednesday, Reuters has reported. An unnamed
senior Ukrainian government official told the agency that Kiev expected
the commission to deliver a “positive” appraisal of its membership bid, according to a Monday article.
The
final decision will be made at an EU summit in December, with the
bloc’s executive body having to prepare a report on Ukraine’s progress
across seven reform areas by that time. The document will also assess
the progress made by Moldova and Georgia, Reuters reported.
A senior French diplomat told the media outlet that the “consensus is clear” overall, and that support for Kiev remained “very solid.”
During
her visit to the Ukrainian capital on Saturday, European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen said the country had met over 90% of the
requirements to start formal membership negotiations. She added that
corruption and the rights of ethnic minorities were among the areas that
required work in the meantime.
Speaking last month, von der Leyen emphasized that the accession process was strictly “merit-based,” and Ukraine should not expect any shortcuts on the path to full membership.
Her
predecessor as president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude
Juncker, has also argued that the Eastern European country is too
corrupt to join the EU anytime soon.
Around the same time,
outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte stressed that setting a
specific date for EU expansion was unwise, after European Council
President Charles Michel said he would like to see Kiev in the EU by
2030.
The decision to launch accession talks with Ukraine would require the unanimous consent of all 27 member states.
Hungary has repeatedly expressed its misgivings regarding
Kiev’s potential membership. According to the country’s Foreign
Minister Peter Szijjarto, Budapest will block EU accession talks for
Ukraine as long as Kiev continues to discriminate against the Hungarian
ethnic minority in the west of the country.