European Commission may open detailed EU accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova in 2025

BRUSSELS. Oct 31 (Interfax) - Ukraine and Moldova are successfully preparing for the entry into the European Union, and negotiations on particular aspects of their integration with the EU may open in 2025, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

"Following the first intergovernmental conference in June 2024, the analytical examination of the acquis (the screening) is progressing smoothly. Subject to Ukraine meeting all the conditions, the commission is looking forward to the opening of negotiations on clusters, starting with the fundamentals, as soon as possible in 2025," the European Commission said in the annual Enlargement Package approved on Wednesday.

The document said that the intergovernmental conference of June 2024 "has been an important recognition of Moldova's determination to pursue reforms on the path of EU accession." In case of Moldova, the study of the EU normative framework has been proceeding well, and detailed negotiations with Chisinau may begin in 2025.

Ministerial intergovernmental conferences dedicated to the beginning of negotiations on the accession of Moldova and Ukraine to the European Union took place in Luxembourg on June 25. The events marked the formal beginning of EU negotiations with these countries.

On Wednesday, the European Commission approved its annual Enlargement Package, a report with a detailed assessment of the status and progress made by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Montenegro on their path to EU membership. Besides making assessments, the European Commission offers recommendations and guidelines on reform priorities.