Status: 09.05.2022 2:35 pm
Ukraine aims for rapid membership in the European Union. Commission Chairwoman von der Leyen has now promised a quick answer to the question of whether the country will become an official candidate for accession. Secretary of State Barbock still sees obstacles.
As early as June, the EU Commission wants to judge whether Ukraine can become an official candidate for EU membership. This was announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Twitter.
If the assessment made by the Brussels authorities is positive, then Ukraine can subsequently be granted the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union – provided that all EU countries agree. The situation, in turn, is a prerequisite for the start of accession negotiations.
The survey has already been sent
Shortly after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February, Kyiv requested rapid accession to the European Union. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government has already submitted documents that could form the basis for accession talks. The relevant committee is now examining this and has also sent a list of questions to Kyiv. “We look forward to the answers to the EU membership questionnaire,” von der Leyen wrote.
According to the Commission, the responses to the questionnaire serve to assess the political and economic criteria for accession. Ukraine had already submitted the first part of the questionnaire on EU membership in mid-April. Once all answers are received, the commission said, the statement will be completed quickly.
Barbock quells expectations
After the agency is evaluated, EU countries can vote on granting Ukraine official candidate status. All 27 EU countries must agree to this. Post-negotiation of an accession agreement usually takes years. In the end, all EU countries must again unanimously agree to final accession.
Against this background, German Foreign Minister Annallina Barbock tempered expectations. Although she confirmed in Frankfurt der Oder that Ukraine belongs to the “House of Europe”, she does not know when and how the accession will take place. Barbouk had already expressed her reservations about the membership application at the end of February, noting that such a procedure usually takes years.
