EU regrets it can't open negotiation clusters with Ukraine without Hungary's consent

This was stated by Polish Minister for EU Affairs Adam Szłapka on March 18 in Brussels, European Pravda reports.

The European Union cannot currently open the first cluster in Ukraine's EU accession negotiations due to Hungary's blockade, as confirmed by the European Commission.

Szłapka stated that the political situation regarding bilateral relations between Ukraine and Hungary was well known. He reiterated that, as he always emphasized, there was a strong determination to advance the EU enlargement process during the Polish presidency, highlighting it as one of their priorities.

He also mentioned that the European Commission was highly committed to the process of screening Ukrainian legislation.

According to the Polish Minister for EU Affairs, they were prepared to work on this matter but required unanimity, which he acknowledged as a challenge. He expressed hope that the process would be based on achievements and should center on arguments rather than political issues.

European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier stated during a briefing on March 18 that enlargement would remain a priority for the Commission. Regarding Ukraine, he noted that the accession process had been opened in June 2024 as a recognition of the country’s commitment to advancing toward the EU and implementing transformative reforms, despite Russia’s ongoing war of aggression. He added that, so far, Ukraine had been making steady progress toward EU accession.

He specified that Ukraine is currently "undergoing bilateral screening reports, which will last until autumn this year."

Provided that all the necessary requirements are met, the European Commission expects to open the first cluster, 'Fundamentals,' as soon as possible in 2025. But this requires the consent of all member states, the spokesman stressed.

Guillaume Mercier concluded that the unanimity requirement was an obstacle in the current circumstances, as the agreement of all member states was necessary. He stated that the Commission had provided its assessment and believed that the first cluster could be opened, but at that moment, they still required the consent of all member states.