Poland among 12 member states calling for urgent start of EU accession talks with Ukraine

Twelve EU countries, including Poland, have urged Belgium, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, to push ahead with commencing talks with Ukraine and Moldova on joining the EU.

They want discussions to begin by the end of this month. In July, Hungary – which has voiced scepticism towards Ukraine’s proposed EU membership – takes over the presidency of the Council of the European Union.

“We believe that the time has come to move forward,” wrote representatives of the 12 countries – Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Slovenia, Romania and Slovakia – in a letter to Belgian foreign minister Hadja Lahbib seen by the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

They recalled that, as agreed by EU leaders in March 2023, the European Council committed to “rapidly adopt an accession negotiating framework for Ukraine and Moldova and to take the process forward without delay”.

At that time, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, expressed the aim of “arriving at the first intergovernmental conference under the Belgian presidency” before the handover to Hungary.

“By agreeing to this negotiating framework and convening intergovernmental conferences, we will de facto and de jure start accession negotiations with both countries,” the letter read.

“The opening of accession negotiations would give additional motivation to both Ukraine and Moldova. Given the dire situation in Ukraine and the upcoming presidential elections and EU referendum in Moldova, it would boost morale and promote work on reforms in these countries.”

“We therefore jointly call for the adoption of a negotiating framework for Ukraine and Moldova by the General Affairs Council in June at the latest, in order to call the intergovernmental conferences with both countries by the end of June,” the letter read. The next General Affairs Council is planned for 25 June.

The presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates between member states every six months. The national governments of the countries holding the presidency are responsible for organising and chairing meetings of the council.

Poland has long been a vocal supporter of Ukraine’s EU membership. Just days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Polish President Andrzej Duda called for an “immediate express path” to membership. He has also long supported Moldova’s EU bid.

However, Hungary has been more sceptical towards Ukraine’s bid to join the bloc. In December, Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned that Ukrainian “membership is not realistic for a long, long, long time”.

Alicja Ptak

Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.