The European Union is preparing to begin technical work on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova, despite Hungary's ongoing blocking of accession negotiations. The European Commission has proposed adjusting the rules to circumvent Hungary's veto, by starting technical work in several "clusters" even without an official decision.
The EU is preparing to begin technical work on Ukraine's and Moldova's accession to the bloc, despite Hungary's ongoing blocking of progress in accession negotiations, citing officials informed about the process, the Financial Times reported, writes UNN.
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Ukraine applied for membership in 2022, weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion, and was soon joined by neighboring Moldova. Both countries officially began EU accession talks last year, but since then, Hungary has opposed the next steps: a unanimous decision by the bloc's 27 members to formally open so-called "chapters" of negotiations to bring the two countries' legislation into line with EU rules in various areas, from energy to competition and the rule of law.
The European Commission has proposed adjusting its rules to circumvent Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's veto by initiating technical work in several "clusters" even in the absence of a formal decision to start negotiations in these areas.
– officials said.
EU leaders, as stated, will discuss the issue at their meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday, and on Thursday they will be joined by leaders of other neighboring countries, including Ukraine and Moldova.
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Taras Kachka, said that Kyiv hopes to convince Budapest to allow the negotiations to continue, given that the final decision on the country's accession to the bloc still requires unanimity and is a "deep political issue."
"But in the meantime, we have, and we very much appreciate having, a proposal from the EU institutions and other member states to start technical work on the clusters," Kachka told the Financial Times.
This will allow Kyiv and Chisinau to continue reforms, regulatory alignment, and institutional preparation. Once Hungary lifts its veto, formalities can be accelerated. "Theoretically, then a cluster could be opened and closed in one day," one official said.
The plan is not without risks. It could make it harder to motivate Ukraine and Moldova to undertake sometimes painful political reforms without public recognition of their efforts, the publication notes. However, officials say the alternative of a complete halt to reforms threatens even more serious consequences.
"Officials in Kyiv tell us that even soldiers on the front line are aware of the lack of technical progress in Brussels," said one EU diplomat involved in the discussions. "We have to find a way to make some progress… The level of frustration is growing not only among Hungarians but among all of us."
Kachka said that moving forward through a technical path is not ideal and is a "problem for everyone." However, he emphasized the importance of continuing "without any interruptions, because interruptions in accession negotiations will lead, let's say, to the rollback of reforms."
Kachka said that moving forward through a technical path is not ideal and creates a "problem for everyone." But he said it was important to continue "without any interruptions, because interruptions in accession negotiations will lead, let's say, to the dismantling of reforms."
Kachka said he hoped to persuade Budapest to "calibrate" its position out of "respect," but admitted he was "actually more optimistic than many."
A senior Moldovan official told the FT that they are also in talks with the European Commission and generally support the idea of continuing technical work without a formal decision to open and close chapters.
António Costa, the President of the European Council, who represents EU leaders, is proposing another option that involves changing the rules of the negotiation process so that a majority of EU countries can open clusters.
Costa tries to bypass Orban's veto on Ukraine's EU membership bid – Politico29.09.25, 09:58 • 3370 views
However, officials said this change would require unanimous support, including from Hungary, and is considered unlikely to succeed. In addition, they noted that closing chapters would still require a unanimous decision.
"[Costa] has been talking to many leaders, and it's no secret that he's trying to do this. But there are no guarantees," said one of the officials who attended the talks with Costa. "Obviously, we will need a unanimous decision to at least change the format of the negotiations… He is well aware of how difficult a task this is."
European Commission supports Costa's plan to bypass Hungary's veto on Ukraine's EU bid29.09.25, 16:47 • 3190 views
