In record time, the EU member states processed the three applications for membership from Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. They were received last week and were forwarded to the Commission on Wednesday – with a request for an opinion. This is the first step towards candidate status. It usually takes at least seven months on its own. For the countries willing to join, this was a first, important signal: their concerns and needs in view of the Russian threat or even aggression are being taken seriously. But what else can they expect from the European Union?
That was the big question when the heads of state and government of the European Union met on Thursday evening. An informal meeting, not in Brussels but at the Palace of Versailles, at the invitation of the French Presidency. It was actually supposed to be about the “future European model for growth and investment”, i.e. – to put it bluntly – taking on new debt. That was and is a core concern of President Macron, but the war in Ukraine has thrown that upside down too. The debate on the applications for membership, scheduled for dinner, came to the fore. “Political guidance” was expected from the bosses, instructions on how to proceed.
Hopes for rapid candidate status
When they arrived in the courtyard in bright sunshine, where the Republican Guard greeted them with fanfares, a draft of the “Declaration of Versailles” had already been prepared. As usual, the bosses’ ambassadors and advisers negotiated it. He gave the applicants no hope that they would quickly receive candidate status.
Georgia and Moldova were not even mentioned in it. Regarding Ukraine, it was said that the European Council recognized the “European aspirations” and its “dedication for Europe” as reflected in the Association Agreement. That was exactly the same wording as the last Council on February 24, a few hours after the Russian invasion of the country. This recognition does not imply support for candidate status. Not even the phrase that Ukraine belongs “to our European family”. All that was said about the application for membership was that it had been received and sent immediately to the Commission for an opinion.
In the ambassadors’ negotiations, Poland, Lithuania and Slovakia had advocated that there be a “fast track” procedure for Ukraine, that the Commission should submit its notification “as soon as possible” and mobilize further financial resources. As a rule, the commission takes one to one and a half years for its examination. Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Hungary didn’t want to put them under time pressure. “There is no such thing as accelerated accession,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as he arrived in Versailles. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to the connection between expansion and deepening. An EU is needed “that develops further in perspective” and remains capable of making decisions, for example by abolishing unanimity on foreign policy issues. These countries insisted that the procedures and requirements of the EU treaty for dealing with membership applications were followed. This is a “very serious and long-term procedure”, explained a diplomat, in which the Commission has to check whether a country fulfills the Copenhagen accession criteria. “To put it bluntly, Ukraine is nowhere near that point.”