The three countries submitted their application for integration into the European Union following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The European Union launched Monday, March 7 the procedure for examining the applications for membership of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, announced the French Presidency of the Council of the EU.
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The three countries filed their claim following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission will have to express an official opinion and the 27 will then have to decide whether to grant candidate status to the applicants, before long and complex negotiations. The European Commission took two years to deliver its opinion after Romania’s application for membership. The representatives of the Member States in Brussels found “an agreement to invite the European Commission to present an opinion on each of the applications for EU membership submitted by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova“, said the presidency on its Twitter account.
A request to integrate Ukraine “without delay”
A written procedure was launched on Monday to “to validate“by Member States”draft letters seeking the opinion of the European Commission“, adds the message. Several Member States have supported the approach of the three countries, but the procedure is long and accession requires unanimity. “We will discuss Ukraine’s membership application in the next few days“, assured Monday the President of the European Council Charles Michel in a message on twitter after a new interview with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Ukrainian President urges Europeans to integrate his country “without delay“. But there is no procedure for this. Integration into the EU is a long-term process to bring the legislation of the candidate country closer to European law. It requires complex negotiations on many subjects and criteria that are difficult to meet for a country at war, such as political stability and a functioning market economy. A new procedure for accession to the European Union has been adopted. It is stricter and reversible, with the possibility of suspending or stopping negotiations with candidates. Five countries are officially recognized as candidates for membership of the European Union: Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.