The EU will make a second attempt to persuade Hungary to begin the process of opening clusters for Ukraine
On July 22, the EU Council’s Working Group on Enlargement will consider for the second time the approval of the screening results for negotiation clusters No. 2 and No. 3 for Ukraine and Moldova. The Irish Presidency and EU member states will try to persuade Hungary to support the start of technical preparations for opening these clusters, according to “European Truth,” citing EU diplomats in Brussels.
Items regarding the screening results for the two clusters have been re-added to the COELA meeting agenda. If approved, the EU will send letters to Ukraine and Moldova requesting their negotiating positions on both clusters. According to a source interviewed by the publication, sending such a letter marks the formal start of the procedure for opening the negotiation clusters.
The Irish presidency aims to begin preparations before the summer recess to open the next clusters—or at least one of them—for Ukraine and Moldova. This would allow for a corresponding intergovernmental conference to be held in September. An optimistic plan calls for opening all clusters by the end of 2026—one per month.
The July 22 meeting will be COELA’s last before the summer recess. The working group’s next meeting is tentatively scheduled for September 1.
During the previous COELA meeting on July 17, Hungary refused to initiate the procedure for opening Clusters No. 2 and No. 3 for Ukraine. At the same time, Budapest agreed to support a decision regarding Cluster No. 3 for Moldova, but this option did not receive the support of a majority of EU member states, so no decision was adopted.
On July 14 in Brussels, the sixth negotiation cluster, “External Relations,” was opened for Ukraine. Previously, Hungary had blocked the opening of clusters No. 2–6 for Ukraine on technical grounds, but later agreed to lift its veto on cluster No. 6.
