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BRUSSELS. Nov 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Commission recommends that the European Council begin negotiations with Ukraine on membership in the European Union.
The corresponding announcement was made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday in Brussels, presenting a report on enlargement that concerns Ukraine.
“Today is a historic day, because today the Commission recommends that the Council opens accession negotiations with Ukraine and with Moldova. The commission also recommends that negotiations should begin with Bosnia and Herzogovina once it had complied with additional EU requirements. It recommended that Georgia should also become an official EU membership candidate country once additional conditions are met,” she said.
According to von der Leyen, Ukraine has completed more than 90% of the necessary steps that were outlined earlier. The remaining reforms continue to be implemented.
“On this basis, we have recommended today that the Council opens accession negotiations. We also recommend that the Council adopts a negotiating framework once Ukraine has carried out the ongoing reforms. On that, we will then report to the Council by March 2024,” the President of the European Commission said.
The President of the European Commission informed that the main progress has been made by Ukraine in the reform of constitutional justice, in the selection of the Supreme Council of Justice, in the anti-corruption program, in the fight against money laundering. She also noted important measures to limit the control of oligarchs over public life, the new law on media and progress in relation to national minorities.
“The remaining reforms are already on their way – that is good –, and the Commission commends these efforts,” von der Leyen added.
