The European Commission is discussing new models for Ukraine's gradual integration into the EU
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos confirmed that Brussels is considering various ideas for strengthening Ukraine’s gradual integration without waiting for the official completion of all stages of the accession process.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, she made this statement at a press conference in Brussels while commenting on reports of proposals from Berlin and Paris regarding “associated membership,” which may not include voting rights or full access to the EU budget. According to Kos, the current enlargement methodology was created a decade ago for peacetime, so more flexible approaches are now being sought.
The Commissioner cited the principle of “gradual integration” as an example, which is already working successfully in economic areas such as energy and the elimination of roaming charges. Currently, EU member states are discussing in which other sectors this principle could be applied to accelerate Ukraine’s integration into the internal market. This would allow Kyiv to experience the benefits of the European space even before signing the final Accession Treaty.
Marta Kos emphasized that the accession process requires a tremendous amount of work, so implementing intermediate stages of integration is a logical step. Despite various discussions in the press, the main task remains meeting the criteria and adapting legislation. It is expected that new formats of cooperation will help avoid a prolonged wait and ensure Ukraine’s steady progress toward full membership. Strengthening partnerships in critical sectors remains a priority for both Ukraine and the European Union.
Ukraine hopes that the European Union will open all six negotiation clusters regarding the country’s accession as early as this year, and also anticipates the possibility of closing at least one of them by the end of the year.
Ukraine may temporarily forgo some of the benefits of EU membership to accelerate the accession process. Taras Kachka noted that such a step would help Ukraine integrate into the EU more quickly.
