France and Germany have prepared an analytical document to streamline the accession process to the European Union and sent it to the bloc’s partners. The document concerns the Western Balkans and Moldova; Ukraine is not mentioned in it.
This document is available to Suspilne.
The two countries prepared the document ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit on June 5 and the EU-Moldova summit on June 22.
France and Germany propose a process-oriented approach that removes overly formalized obstacles to intermediate stages and simplifies the methodology, particularly by consolidating some procedural steps. With the full agreement of the member states, they propose opening all negotiating clusters where the European Commission recommends it.
“The work of candidate countries, the Commission, and the Council should focus on the substance of reforms, not procedural steps,” the document states.
Gradual integration through “building blocks” based on progress achieved is also proposed. The document envisages that these steps will be reversible if a candidate country regresses in reforms or deviates from the fundamental values of the EU.
Among the “building blocks” are joint meetings of the European Commission and Members of the European Parliament with representatives from the Western Balkans and Moldova twice a year, participation in Council of the EU meetings as an observer without voting rights, and enhanced cooperation in security and defense, including PESCO projects and cooperation with Frontex, etc. Each step is linked to a specific condition, from the submission of the membership application to the temporary closure of the chapter on common foreign and security policy.
Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a letter to European leaders, again proposed associate membership in the EU for Ukraine. According to him, this is not “simplified membership” but a step that would go far beyond the Association Agreement and speed up accession. Merz explained that such integration would not require ratification of the Accession Treaty or changes to the EU treaties, only a strong political agreement.
Ukraine’s EU Accession
On December 19, 2025, it became known that Ukraine had completed the necessary procedures to open all six negotiating clusters for accession to the European Union.
On October 2, 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel and urged EU leaders to open the clusters for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
Despite Kyiv’s technical readiness and the government’s approval of negotiating positions, the actual opening of the clusters requires a unanimous decision of all 27 EU member states. The principle of consensus is the main challenge for Ukraine at this stage.
On January 27, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine hopes for EU membership as early as 2027. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Ukraine would not be able to join the EU in the near future. According to him, the option of joining the bloc by January 1, 2027, is “impossible.”
He noted that any country wishing to join the EU must first meet the Copenhagen criteria, a process that typically takes several years. At the same time, Merz emphasized that Ukraine needs a perspective that will pave the way for accession in the long term.
On March 17, 2026, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that the Ukrainian delegation in Brussels had received the conditions for accession to the EU for the three final negotiating clusters. European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi emphasized that all six negotiating clusters for Ukraine’s accession are currently unofficially open.
What are the Copenhagen Criteria
The Copenhagen criteria are a set of political, economic, and legal requirements that countries must meet to become members of the European Union. They were adopted by the European Council in Copenhagen in 1993 and have become the basis for all future EU enlargements.
The criteria are divided into three main groups:
- Political criteria – stability of democratic institutions, rule of law, protection of human rights and rights of national minorities.
- Economic criteria – a functioning market economy capable of withstanding competitive pressure within the EU’s single market.
- Legal criteria – the ability to adopt the obligations arising from EU membership, including the implementation of EU law.
These requirements are universal for all states aspiring to join the EU, regardless of their geographical location or historical development.
Source: suspilne.media