Ukraine Is Poised To Get Backing Of EU States On Membership Path

(Bloomberg) -- The European Union's 27 member states are set to formally grant Ukraine candidate status later this week, following a Monday meeting of EU ambassadors where nobody opposed the decision, according to people familiar with the matter.

The European Commission recommended last week that Ukraine be granted the status, a first -- but highly symbolic -- step on the long path to becoming an EU member. The bloc's executive arm included conditions in its opinion that Kyiv will have to meet in the future on issues related to the rule of law, justice and anti-corruption.

The bloc is also set to back the commission's opinion in granting candidate status to Moldova, as well as to Georgia if it first meets specific additional conditions, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The status is particularly significant for Ukraine, which has invested so much of its political future on a closer relationship with Europe as it seeks moral support in countering Russian aggression.

EU leaders will meet in Brussels June 23-24 when the commission's recommendations are expected to be given the green light, the people said. The final decision to grant the status and any attached conditions will have to be approved by all the member states before it is final. A proposed form of wording has yet to be put in writing, according to draft summit conclusions seen by Bloomberg.

“Now is the time to acknowledge that the future of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia lies within the EU,” European Council President Charles Michel wrote in a letter inviting the leaders to this week's summit. “I will invite you to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova.” 

Western Ties

Discussions are going in the right direction and Ukraine's candidate status is on track to be approved, according to an EU official.

During Monday's gathering, a number of member states underlined the need for Ukraine to meet the conditions set out by the commission before accession talks progress further beyond the candidate status, one of the people said. Others are keen that the potential new candidates are not seen to get preferential treatment over nations in the Western Balkans, whose progress toward membership has stalled.

The commission has made clear that the accession process will follow the same criteria and rules for all candidates. There's no existing fast-track path to speed up the arduous membership criteria, which can normally last more than a decade. Croatia was the last country to join the bloc and its application lasted 10 years before it was formally accepted in 2013.

Hungary is among a handful of member states that have asked that Bosnia and Herzegovina also be granted candidate status, a request that is problematic, the person said.

The proposed steps that Kyiv will need to take include:

• Implement legislation on a selection procedure for judges of the Constitutional Court

• Finalize integrity vetting of candidates for various judicial councils

• Strengthen the fight against corruption, including via the appointment of a new head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office

• Ensure that anti-money laundering legislation is in compliance with the standards of the Financial Action Task Force

• Implement anti-oligarch legislation

• Tackle the influence of vested interests by adopting a new media law aligned with EU media directives

• Finalize reforms of the legal framework for national minorities

The commission plans to monitor Ukraine's progress in fulfilling these conditions and will aim to report on them in the new year.

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