In an unprecedented move, the European Commission will advance Ukraine's accession process at a technical level despite Hungary blocking formal accession negotiations.
Under the new plan, technical progress means that Kiev will continue with the reforms needed to meet EU criteria, and EU officials will assess Ukraine's progress in aligning with EU laws and standards, particularly in areas such as judicial independence. This bypasses Budapest's veto on opening formal negotiations.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told DW that she had received "clear instructions" from EU affairs ministers at an informal meeting in Lviv earlier this week to accelerate efforts on Ukraine's candidacy.
"I am very, very happy and encouraged that we are moving even faster in this process," Kos told DW.
Unanimity will still be required
Hungary's support will continue to be necessary for all final decisions on membership, as the admission of new countries to the Union requires the unanimous consent of all current members.
"At some point we will have to reach unanimity," Kos admitted when asked about the feasibility of the plan. "But for now, for the technical part, we can proceed," she said on Friday.
"Ukraine does not need Hungary to implement reforms. It is a transformational process that benefits the entire country," she added.
The European Commission will apply the same approach to Moldova, whose candidacy is also stuck due to internal stalemate within the EU.
Accession in 2027 part of the US peace plan?
Kos was cautious and did not want to talk about deadlines after the media reported that EU accession was being considered as early as 2027 as part of the US peace plan for Ukraine.
"I am very happy that this peace plan mentions Ukraine's accession to the EU. This is now the first draft. We will see what will ultimately come out of it," Kos told DW.
When exactly that might happen remains to be seen, she continued. "It also depends on how quickly Ukraine implements reforms. And it is also linked to what our member states will say, when we will be ready to receive Ukraine."
The fight against corruption
The European Commission and Ukraine earlier this week jointly developed a plan for reforms in the fight against corruption, which is considered a key challenge for Kiev on its path to the EU.
Kos stated that improving the vetting of judges and strengthening the financial capacity and independence of Ukrainian anti-corruption institutions could be some of the necessary steps.
The European Commission's new plan for Ukraine's membership comes shortly after the country was rocked by a corruption scandal that made headlines around the world.
"It's up to us to assess when corruption cases emerge: is it a sign that there is a lot of corruption in the country, or a sign that anti-corruption institutions are doing their job? I think it's a combination," Kos said.
Hungary says "no"
Although Hungary gave the green light in 2022 for Ukraine to become an official candidate for EU membership, Budapest has since blocked further steps in its accession process.
Hungary held a non-binding referendum on Ukraine's accession to the EU, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban regularly refers to its negative outcome when publicly challenging Ukraine's progress.
"Why should our people have to suffer the consequences of someone else's war? We sympathize with the Ukrainian people and recognize their hardships, but we will not share a fate that is not ours," Orban wrote in October on the social network X.
EU reforms are also needed
Experts believe that the EU also needs internal reforms if it wants to accept Kiev and other countries aspiring to membership. EU decisions are often slow and can be blocked by individual member vetoes. Accepting new countries could further complicate the functioning of the EU.
"There are also various political discussions — and I would say quite legitimate concerns — about what the impact of Ukraine's potential accession would be on the EU budget, on cohesion policy, as well as on the common agricultural policy," researcher Teona Lavrelashvili told DW earlier this week.
"Until Brussels addresses these concerns, including institutionally, I think these discussions will continue — and not only Hungary, but also other member states will not fully accept Ukraine's accession to the EU," said Lavrelashvili, an analyst at the Brussels-based think tank Wilfred Martens Centre.
Kos said that in March next year, the European Commission will present an assessment of the EU's readiness to accept new members and "what needs to be done."
Bonus video:
