questions and answers
EU starts accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova – what it’s about
Ukraine and its small neighbouring country Moldova have become EU accession candidates in a very short time
© Pascal Bastien / AP / DPA
While other countries have to wait for years, things are moving particularly quickly for Ukraine and Moldova: EU accession talks for these countries start today. According to European Minister Anna Lührmann, this is a “historic day”.
When it came to the question of which countries would one day be able to join For years, there was talk of Balkan states such as Montenegro and Serbia being able to create a European Union. Russia’s war policy has fundamentally changed this. Ukraine and its small neighbouring state of Moldova have become EU accession candidates in a very short space of time and can now celebrate the official start of EU accession negotiations. Will the EU soon be bigger than it was before Brexit?
What does the opening of accession negotiations mean?
The step is primarily relevant psychologically and symbolically. The EU is showing the estimated 35 million people in Ukraine and the 2.4 million people in Moldova that they have a chance of becoming EU citizens. It is intended to be a sign that it is worth fighting for freedom and democracy.
At the start of the negotiation process, CDU foreign policy expert Michael Gahler said that for the people in Ukraine, the European Union was “a promising place of refuge from the grim everyday life of war”. They had high hopes for the EU.
Does the same apply to Moldova?
Since there is no war in Moldova, the situation there is somewhat different, but the EU also has a strategic interest in keeping the citizens of the Ukrainian neighbour on the EU course. “The Republic of Moldova is openly being targeted by the Kremlin because of its solidarity with Ukraine and its pro-European orientation, led by President Maia Sandu,” explains David McAllister (CDU), who was most recently chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament. This is particularly evident ahead of the upcoming presidential elections in October.
What are the accession talks about?
Basically, the term negotiations is somewhat misleading. Ultimately, it is about the EU telling the candidate countries what they still have to do in order to be accepted into the Union. This mainly involves adapting national legislation to EU law and making the economy and administration EU-compatible.
In order to make the process clearer, the requirements have been divided into 35 so-called chapters. At the beginning, for example, it is mainly about the country fulfilling the basic accession requirements. This is followed by topics such as the rule of law and justice.
The accession conferences for Ukraine and Moldova in Luxembourg will initially be about presenting the guidelines and principles for the negotiations to the two countries. According to EU diplomats, the first negotiation chapters are likely to be opened over the next twelve months.
Until then, the EU Commission must still carry out a so-called screening for the negotiation chapters to examine the extent to which the national law of the accession candidate still deviates from EU law.
How long will the accession negotiations take?
This is still completely unclear and depends above all on the reform progress of the candidate countries. The accession negotiations with Turkey, for example, were started in 2005 – and today they are completely on hold due to setbacks in the rule of law.
It is also relevant that a unanimous decision by all EU states is necessary for opening and closing the 35 negotiation chapters. This entails the risk of blockades.
Who could veto?
Hungary is considered a risk factor, especially in the case of Ukraine. Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the newspapers of the Funke Media Group at the start of the talks that he considered the matter to be “a purely politically motivated process”. He did not think it was a good idea to start negotiations without having clarity on certain issues.
As examples, he said that in his view, it would be necessary to first examine what the consequences would be if a country at war were admitted whose borders were not clear in practice. It would also be necessary to examine what consequences the accession of this huge country would have for the EU’s agriculture.
Does Orban have a point here?
Ukraine’s huge agricultural sector would indeed require a comprehensive reform of EU agricultural subsidies. EU experts recently calculated that, without changes, EU funds totaling 186 billion euros would flow to Ukraine over a seven-year budget period.
When it comes to borders, Ukraine will probably not be able to become an EU member until the war with Russia has ended. Otherwise, Kiev could demand military assistance from other EU states under Article 42, paragraph 7 of the EU Treaty – and the EU would officially be a party to the war.
Would reforms only be needed in EU agriculture?
In principle, many in the EU believe that the admission of large countries such as Ukraine can only be successful if there is extensive EU reform beforehand. The decision-making processes in the area of foreign policy, for example, are already very cumbersome in some cases because the principle of unanimity generally applies.
How does the Federal Government view the accession negotiations?
Minister of State for Europe Anna Lührmann (Greens) says: “Today is a historic day for Europe.” Despite the Russian bombs, disinformation campaigns and attempts at destabilization, both Ukraine and Moldova have already made great progress. Many reforms still need to be made on the way to the EU. But today is a day to celebrate, and the work will continue tomorrow.