At the first meeting after the summer recess of the European Union Council’s Working Party on Enlargement (COELA), on Sept. 1, Hungary’s delegation again refused to approve the screening results for Ukraine’s EU accession negotiating clusters 2 and 3.
Ukrainska Pravda reported the development, citing its own sources in Brussels.
“Everything remains unchanged,” one source told the publication.
According to the source, the Hungarian delegation, as in July, before the summer recess, agreed to approve only the screening results for Moldova’s cluster 3.
That option, which would effectively separate Ukraine and Moldova on their paths to EU membership, is not supported by most EU countries, led by Ireland, which currently holds the bloc’s rotating presidency, the publication reported.
The next COELA meeting is scheduled for Sept. 2, but Ukraine and Moldova are not on the agenda, Ukrainska Pravda noted.
The first negotiating cluster with Ukraine and Moldova, “Fundamentals,” formally opened in Luxembourg on June 15.
The European Union formally opened the sixth cluster of Ukraine’s accession negotiations, covering external relations, on July 14.
The EU Council’s enlargement working group began reviewing the screening results for the second and third clusters for Ukraine and Moldova on July 17. Hungary agreed to advance Moldova’s third cluster but refused to begin opening Ukraine’s second and third clusters. Most EU member states did not support Budapest’s position, leaving the group without a decision and blocking the openings for both countries.
Hungary again refused to approve the screening results for the second and third negotiating clusters for Ukraine and Moldova at a meeting of the EU Council’s enlargement working group on July 22.
