Editor's note: The story is being updated.All 27 EU member states formally agreed on June 15 to open the first accession negotiation cluster with Ukraine and Moldova, the European Commission reported."Today, we're launching talks on the backbone of the accession process: including justice, freedom, and fundamental rights," the statement read. "We've seen the hard work these countries have put in, and we are rewarding it with a clear path forward."The accession cluster officially opened in Luxembourg during an Intergovernmental Conference on June 15.