European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on the 19th (local time) that “I am confident that we will reach a positive decision” regarding Ukraine’s securing of the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union (EU).
“Of course, this is a historic decision that the EU summit has to make,” said von der Leyen, chairman of the executive committee, on the German ARD broadcast that day.
The European Commission, the European Commission, proposed on the 17th that Ukraine and Moldova should be given the status of candidates for EU membership.
Georgia, reviewed together, was of the opinion that additional conditions should be met.
As the Executive Council presents a positive opinion on granting candidate country status, if the 27 member countries unanimously approve it at the EU summit on the 23rd and 24th, Ukraine and Moldova will be granted candidate country status, and negotiations for official membership will begin.
It is known that Member States have not so far taken a consistent position on this.
Austria wants Bosnia and Herzegovina to secure EU candidate status, while Romania wants Georgia to join.
Ukraine applied for EU membership on February 28, four days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Commissioner von der Leyen explained that the EU Commission’s opinion that Ukraine should be granted accession status was based on data, facts and preliminary preparations submitted by Ukraine over the past eight years.
“We want more reforms,” he said, adding that “how long it will take for formal accession will depend on the candidate country.”
“It is in the hands of the candidate countries how quickly the process progresses,” he said.
He said that this is not an inflexible process, citing Turkey and Slovakia.
After both countries achieved candidate status in 1999, Slovakia went incredibly hard to become a member of the EU in 2004, while Turkey is now farther away from the EU than it was then, Von der Leyen said. .
/yunhap news
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