Brussels – The long-awaited breakthrough has finally arrived, and June 2026 could go down in history as the month when Ukraine and Moldova formally began negotiations on their future EU membership. Following the announcement from Budapest that an agreement had been reached with Kyiv on minority rights, the Cypriot Presidency of the Council has launched the process to formally open Cluster 1 – ‘Fundamentals’ with both candidates.
“In just three weeks, we have achieved what Viktor Orbán and his government failed to achieve in ten years,” said Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar on 3 June, announcing a “comprehensive agreement” with Kyiv on expanding the rights of the Hungarian minority in the Transcarpathia region. If these commitments are included in Ukraine’s action plan submitted to EU institutions, Budapest “will support the opening of the first accession cluster.”
According to a spokesperson of the Cyprus Presidency, on the same day the 27 EU ambassadors “initiated the process for the formal opening” of the first group of negotiating chapters for both Kyiv and Chișinău, which are linked through the so-called “package approach” – meaning that, when one candidate stalls, the other has to wait as well (as was the case with Albania and North Macedonia until September 2024).
EU sources explain to The New Union Post that the work at the level of the Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU (COELA) has already started “intensively.” Pending internal processes in the Council, the EU common position is expected to be formally adopted “next week,” with the aim of proceeding with two separate Accession Conferences (also known as Intergovernmental Conferences, IGCs) “on 15 June” in Luxembourg, on the eve of the next General Affairs Council.
“Ukraine and Moldova are already now delivering on rule of law requirements set by member states,” confirmed Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, stressing that “the best way to ensure minority rights are respected” is to “accelerate on the road to EU membership.”
The Heads of Mission of Ukraine and Moldova – respectively Ambassador Vsevolod Chentsov and Ambassador Daniela Morari – welcomed the news of the start of preparations for the formal opening of Cluster 1 – ‘Fundamentals’, calling it an “important milestone” for the two candidates, who have been waiting for this moment for two years.
And now?
What is now expected during one of the next meetings of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU (COREPER) is the positive assessment of both Kyiv’s and Chișinău’s alignment with the opening benchmarks for the first cluster of chapters, which focus on economic criteria, the functioning of democratic institutions, and public administration reform (five out of the total 33 chapters). The 27 EU ambassadors will have at their disposal the already scheduled meetings on 8, 10 and 12 June to fulfill the expectations for taking this crucial step next week.
If this proves to be the case, two separate Accession Conferences could indeed be held on 15 June in Luxembourg, with the paths of Ukraine and Moldova naturally decoupling. After more than four years of proceeding hand in hand – since the very beginning of the process – each candidate would then move forward at its own pace.
Chișinău is also ready to open the remaining five accession clusters “by the end of the summer”, as Ambassador Morari recently confirmed to The New Union Post. She expects this commitment to be reflected in the conclusions of the European Council on 18–19 June. Moldovan sources explain that the hope in Chișinău is for the Accession Conference to take place “on the margins of the General Affairs Council” on 16 June. It could also take place afterwards, but it is “very important” that this happens before the EU–Moldova Summit in Brussels on 22 June.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several EU governments are aiming for opening alla accession chapters. For the time being, however, this goal appears highly ambitious for Kyiv. It should not be forgotten that, despite the historic step announced by Prime Minister Magyar, “Hungary continues to oppose accelerated EU accession” for Ukraine. Not only did he specify that Kyiv’s accession would be “subject to a legally binding referendum”, but he also stated that the expected timeframe for closing all 33 negotiating chapters would be “within the next 10 to 15 years”.
The state of EU relations with Ukraine and Moldova
Just four days after the start of Russia’s war of aggression, on 28 February 2022, Ukraine submitted its application for EU membership, with Moldova following three days later, on 3 March. On 23 June 2022, the European Council endorsed the European Commission’s recommendation to grant Kyiv and Chișinău candidate status.
At the European Council meeting on 14 December 2023, EU leaders gave the green light to open accession negotiations. Following the Council’s approval of the negotiating frameworks, the first intergovernmental conferences with the two countries were held on 25 June 2024 in Luxembourg. As recognised in the 2025 Enlargement Package, the screening process has been successfully concluded with both Kyiv and Chișinău.
With Hungary vetoing the start of Ukraine’s EU negotiations, Moldova’s accession has also been put on hold, as Chișinău’s EU process is tied to Kyiv’s through the so-called “package approach” (which has linked the two dossiers from the very beginning). On 17 March 2026, technical guidance was provided to both Ukraine and Moldova to continue work on EU reforms across all six negotiating clusters, until political conditions allow the formal process to begin – meaning Hungary lifting its veto.
Once Cluster 1 – ‘Fundamentals’ – the first group of five negotiating chapters (out of 33), focusing on economic criteria, the functioning of democratic institutions, and public administration reform – is opened, the other groups of negotiating chapters can follow. The unanimous approval of all 27 EU member states in the Council is now the only step remaining.
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