EU summit: Ukraine now officially EU candidate country
Created: 06/24/2022, 05:15
By: Katja Thorwarth, Vincent Büssow
The decision has been made: war-torn Ukraine is now officially running for membership in the European Union.
After Russia attacked Ukraine, Kyiv applied to join the EU.
On Thursday (June 23), EU member countries decided on Ukraine's future in the alliance.
Some members called for special treatment similar to Ukraine's for candidate countries in the Western Balkans.
Update from June 24, 2022, 5:10 a.m .:
Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, and the smaller neighboring country of Moldova are officially EU accession candidates.
This was decided by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the other 26 heads of state and government of the European Union on Thursday at the EU summit in Brussels.
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Georgia could soon follow once they meet certain reforms.
Council President Charles Michel and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj spoke of a "historic moment".
Selenskyj was connected live to the summit after the decision.
"The future of Ukraine lies in the EU," he wrote on Twitter.
Decision at EU summit: Ukraine and Moldova become candidate countries
+++ 8:31 p.m .:
The EU has officially accepted Ukraine as a candidate for accession.
Moldova was also granted candidate country status.
This was announced by Council President Michel.
+++ 8:05 p.m .:
The EU consultations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova more complicated than expected.
Countries like Austria and Slovenia expect equal treatment for the Western Balkan countries.
Countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina should also be granted candidate status as soon as possible.
This is what Austria and Ukraine are demanding, according to several EU diplomats and officials.
In addition, the visa requirement for residents of Kosovo must be abolished.
The Kosovars are the only ones in the Western Balkans who still need a visa to enter the Schengen area.
The countries of the Western Balkans are disappointed and angry about the slow progress towards EU accession.
After the EU Commission voted in favor of Ukraine's candidate status, the member states are now voting on it at a summit.
(Iconic image) © Patrick Pleul/dpa
Decision at EU summit: Albania accuses EU states of "impotence".
+++ 4.20 p.m .:
After a meeting of EU members with the six Western Balkan countries, Bulgaria continues to block the start of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania.
"We expressed our disappointment with the dynamics of the enlargement process," North Macedonia's Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski said in Brussels on Thursday.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama wrote with a sarcastic undertone on Twitter: "Imagine how much nicer it would be if beautiful promises were followed by beautiful deeds."
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The talks with North Macedonia and Albania should have started almost two years ago.
But since then, Bulgaria has been demanding that North Macedonia acquiesce in the smaller neighboring country regarding minorities, historiography and language.
Albania's Prime Minister Rama described the blockade of Bulgaria as a "disgrace".
"One NATO country - Bulgaria - is holding two other NATO countries - Albania and North Macedonia - hostage amid a hot war in Europe," he said.
“And the others watch in their impotence.” How bad the mood is was already apparent before the summit.
Because of the Bulgarian blockade, the heads of state and government of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia kept a summit boycott open until midday on Wednesday - but then decided against it.
Decision at the EU summit: Chancellor Scholz campaigns again for Ukraine
+++ 3.45 p.m .:
At the start of the EU summit in Brussels, Chancellor Olaf Scholz once again campaigned to make Ukraine a candidate for EU membership.
The SPD politician spoke on Thursday of a "historic" meeting of the heads of state and government, but also called for reforms in the European Union to enable the admission of new members.
The EU must make itself “enlargeable”.
This also includes lifting the principle of unanimity for some decisions.
EU summit: EU also discusses membership of the Western Balkans
+++ 1:56 p.m .:
Shortly before the EU summit, the European Parliament called for the recognition of Ukraine and neighboring Moldova as official EU accession candidates.
A large majority of MEPs called on the heads of state or government of member countries in a non-binding resolution on Thursday to "immediately grant candidate country status to Ukraine and Moldova" at their summit in Brussels.
Georgia should also be granted this status as soon as the government meets certain criteria specified by the European Commission.
At the same time, the European Parliament emphasized that "there is no accelerated procedure for membership in the EU" and that accession "still" is a process that depends on the "implementation of reforms".
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Decision at EU summit: Will Ukraine become a candidate for EU membership?
+++ 12.28 p.m .:
The heads of state and government of the EU states are not only advising on Ukraine in Brussels, but also on further rapprochement with the Western Balkans.
EU Council President Charles Michel campaigned on Thursday to “get the process going again” after years of deadlock.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) advocated a clear EU perspective for North Macedonia and the five other countries.
It is "of the utmost importance that this is now a credible promise," said Scholz.
"Germany will support the activities of the western Balkan states on their way to the European Union," said Scholz in Brussels.
"We feel responsible for ensuring that these countries are successful in their efforts." The chancellor stressed that they were promised an EU perspective as early as 2003, almost 20 years ago.
Decision at EU summit: Will Ukraine become a candidate for EU membership?
+++ 10.15
a.m .: EU Council President Charles Michel assumes that the EU summit in Brussels will make Ukraine and Moldova candidates for EU accession.
"I am confident that we will grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova today," he told a meeting of EU leaders on Thursday.
The status as an EU accession candidate is a prerequisite for the accession negotiations to be able to start at a later point in time.
+++ 9.33 a.m .:
Today, Thursday (June 23), the EU will decide whether Ukraine will be granted candidate status.
Even if the EU summit unanimously grants candidate status, this step is primarily symbolic.
The more important hurdle is the delayed start of accession negotiations, as emphasized by EU diplomats.
Applicants must demonstrate that they can implement EU Community law.
The multi-step process can take years, if not decades.
No timeframe is mentioned in the draft summit declaration.
It states that the Member States would decide on "further steps once all the conditions specified by the Commission have been met".
"Nobody knows whether Ukraine will ever join," says an experienced EU diplomat.
The minimum requirement is a ceasefire with Russia.
Ukraine: EU decides on candidate status
Update from June 23, 2022, 5 a.m.:
The European Union will decide today (June 23) at a summit meeting in Brussels whether Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, will receive the status of an EU accession candidate.
Before the consultations of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his colleagues, there was broad support for the corresponding recommendation from the EU Commission.
However, a decision must be taken unanimously by all 27 states.
Shortly before the start of the two-day meeting, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned to support Ukraine's candidate status.
"It is now up to the European Council to decide and live up to the historic responsibility we face," she said.
The process of admitting countries like Ukraine is based on merit.
"But how we respond to their passion and progression is our business."
In addition to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are also waiting for the prospect of EU membership.
According to the EU Commission's recommendation for the summit, Moldova should also be given candidate status.
Georgia should first meet reform requirements.
+++ 9.45 p.m .:
More and more voices are calling on the EU member states to recognize Ukraine’s candidate status.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, pleaded in favor of this measure in the European Parliament on Wednesday (22 June): "It is now up to the European Council to decide and to live up to the historical responsibility we are facing".
Von der Leyen's commission had already recommended on Friday (June 17) that Ukraine should be included as a candidate despite the war with Russia.
The Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, has also strongly advocated declaring the war-torn country a candidate for EU membership.
"We must give hope to Ukraine," she said on Wednesday.
On Thursday (June 23) the heads of state and government will decide on the situation at an EU summit.
Like representatives from Luxembourg and France before, Kallas also expressed confidence that the necessary unanimity will be achieved.
+++ 19.10 p.m .:
Ukraine wants to meet all the conditions necessary for admission to the EU this year.
This was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, as reported by the news portal Kiev Independent.
The announcement comes before the EU Council has made a decision on Ukraine's candidate status (see initial notification).
A lack of rule of law and corruption are the main obstacles that stand in the way of the country at war.
EU members vote on candidate status for Ukraine
First report from June 22, 4:43 p.m.:
Brussels – At the upcoming EU summit, things are getting serious for Ukraine.
The 27 heads of state and government will meet on Thursday (June 23) and Friday to decide on the war-torn country's accession prospects.
The prospects of the former Soviet nations of Moldova and Georgia are also up for discussion.
As usual in the EU Council, members must vote unanimously to recognize countries as candidates.
This principle has often caused problems in the past.
Only on Friday (June 17) did the EU Commission recommend granting Ukraine candidate status.
Just days after Russia invaded the neighboring country on February 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy applied to join the European alliance.
The process triggered by this in the EU is an absolute special case: not only did the Commission come to its decision in a hurry, but the mere consideration of admitting a country in a state of war was not up for discussion.
Despite the special treatment, Ukraine still faces a number of hurdles.
EU summit decides on Ukraine's candidate status: Members signal unanimity
The problem is less, unlike usual, the stubbornness of the member states.
In the run-up to the EU summit, several heads of government have signaled that they expect a unanimous decision.
Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said on Tuesday (21 June) that there was not a single country causing problems.
Nevertheless, there could be haggling at the end of the debate at the EU summit.
For example, it is still unclear whether countries such as Austria, Slovenia and Croatia will link their approval of Ukraine's EU accession candidate status to progress in efforts to expand the EU to include the Western Balkans.
Serbia, Albania and Co. deserve the same "special treatment as Ukraine", said Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob only recently.
as a signal,
The real difficulties were not to hit Kyiv until after the EU summit.
The expected commitment to Ukraine initially means little, although actual accession is subject to numerous conditions.
In the areas of the rule of law and the fight against corruption in particular, Ukraine needs reform, as EU Council President Charles Michel said in a video message before the summit.
The example of the Western Balkan countries shows how inconsequential candidate status can be.
(vbu with dpa/AFP)
