European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a media conference following a meeting of the College of Commissioners at EU headquarters in Brussels on Friday.
Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP
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Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a media conference following a meeting of the College of Commissioners at EU headquarters in Brussels on Friday.
Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP
BRUSSELS – The European Union’s executive body on Friday recommended making Ukraine a candidate for EU membership, a first step on what is seen as a long road for country ravaged by war join the 27-nation bloc.
The European Commission made the proposal to award Ukraine candidate status after a quick analysis of the responses to a questionnaire. The Ukrainian government applied to join the EU less than a week after Russia invaded the country.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Ukrainians are ready to die for the European prospect. “We want them to live with us, the European dream.”
The leaders of the bloc’s current members are expected to discuss the recommendation during a summit next week in Brussels. Confirmation by the European Commission, a strong sign of solidarity with Ukraine, will likely take years or even decades for EU membership.
Along with Ukraine, the European Commission also recommends giving neighboring Moldova as an EU candidate. The commission also considered Georgia’s application but said the Caucasus nation first needed to meet a number of conditions.
Adding a new member requires the unanimous approval of all existing EU member states. They have expressed different views on how to quickly add Ukraine to their ranks. Ukraine’s bid received a boost when the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and Romania visited the country on Thursday and vowed to support their candidacy.
To be admitted, potential newcomers need to demonstrate that they meet EU standards for democratic principles, and they must internalize around 80,000 pages of rules covering everything from trade, immigration to fertilizers and the rule of law.
In the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the European Commission has repeatedly expressed concern in recent years about corruption in Ukraine and the need for sweeping economic and political reforms.
“Yes, Ukraine deserves a European vision. It should be welcomed as a candidate country, based on the understanding that important work still has to be done,” von der Leyen said today. Friday. “This whole process is merit-based. It goes by the books and so progress depends entirely on Ukraine.”
Ukraine currently has an association agreement with the EU, which aims to open Ukraine’s market and bring it closer to Europe. It includes a far-reaching free trade pact. Von der Leyen said that as a result of the 2016 agreement, “Ukraine has implemented about 70% of EU rules, norms and standards.”
She continued: “It is participating in many important EU programmes. “Ukraine is a strong parliamentary democracy. It has a well-functioning public administration that has kept the country going even during this war.”
Von der Leyen said the country needs to continue to make progress in the areas of the rule of law and fighting corruption. She also cited the need to hasten the selection of high court judges.
Speeding up Ukraine’s application by declaring the country an official candidate would challenge the EU’s usual play of adding members. The extent to which Ukraine’s request for rapid accession represents a change in the EU’s standard operating procedures is evident from the experience of other aspiring members.
For example, Turkey applied for accession in 1987, received candidacy in 1999 and had to wait until 2005 to begin negotiations for actual accession. The six so-called Western Balkan countries – Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Kosovo – have been in the EU queue for decades, and only Serbia and Montenegro have the status of proposed candidates for Ukraine. .
At the June 23 summit, EU heads of state and governments thus faced a delicate balancing act: signaling to Ukraine that the door was closed while reassuring members. other ambitions and some citizens of the bloc that they show no favoritism towards Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said he was grateful for the European Commission’s recommendation to include his country and Moldova on the path of membership. He called it “the first step on the road to EU membership that will certainly bring our victory closer.”
Zelenskyy added that he “expects a positive outcome” from the EU summit in Brussels.
Earlier, on Friday, Zelenskyy said that Moscow’s defeat in his country was in the interest of all of Europe.
Speaking at an annual discussion forum in North Macedonia, Zelenskyy said that Russia’s actions even before the war had “challenged every country on the continent, every region of Europe.”
“Today, there is not a single country left in Europe that has not suffered at least one of the many manifestations of Russia’s anti-European policies,” he said.
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Dusan Stojanovic contributed from Belgrade.
