The opening of the first cluster in the EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova is absolutely necessary; everything is ready for this, and the decision is in the hands of the EU Council.

Source : Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, at a meeting of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on 3 June, as reported by European Pravda 

Details : Kos stressed that Ukraine and Moldova are ready to open the first cluster, and the EU Council must find ways to do so.

"We absolutely need to take the next step with Ukraine and Moldova. Now, both countries have done their homework. Everything is ready and in the hands of the Council to open the first cluster," she noted.

Kos reiterated that "EU accession for Ukraine is a key security guarantee. We need to make it a reality". 

"We need to process the move forward, to keep up momentum for reform in Ukraine, to help our member states tackle their concerns and ultimately to respond to our biggest security challenges since the end of the Second World War," she said.

Marta Kos also mentioned the progress in reforms that Ukraine was demonstrating. 

"Thirty-six reform indicators have been met with continued efforts in traditional reform, anti-corruption, energy market liberalisation, corporate governance and the business climate. These reforms achieved under the most difficult conditions are not abstract. They directly support Ukraine's EU accession and bring it closer to the Union in every sense, politically, legally and economically," Kos stated.

Background : 

• Brussels is developing a scenario for parallel negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU bypassing Hungary – the first steps in its implementation have already been taken, although they prefer not to announce this officially.
• On 27 May, János Bóka, Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs, stated that Hungary would continue to block Ukraine's accession to the EU due to espionage scandals.

Read more:"Plan B" for Ukraine's EU accession: how Brussels is preparing to overcome Hungary's veto  

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