Both countries now have only four negotiating clusters left to open
Ukraine and Moldova have opened accession negotiations on foreign, security, and defence policy as part of the EU’s biggest single-day enlargement push since 2004.
Marta Kos, the enlargement commissioner, called the move a ‘Super Tuesday’ for enlargement, with four countries meeting in Brussels to advance their respective negotiations to join the EU.
“We are just 14 days into your presidency, and we are already taking the first significant enlargement step with four accession conferences in one day,” she said, addressing Thomas Byrne, Ireland’s Europe minister who is chairing the negotiations.
Ukraine’s progress towards EU membership had long been stalled by Hungary, as the former government under Viktor Orbán blocked formal negotiations on some policy areas.
