European Commission recommends Ukraine and Moldova for EU candidate status

Europe, News June 19, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Ukraine and Moldova’s application to join European Union made significant progress by attaining backing from the European Commission.

The commission has recommended a fast-track membership for both countries ahead of the EU leaders’ summit on June 23-24.

According to the European Commission statement, the Commission recommends that both Ukraine and Moldova be given “the perspective to become a member of the European Union and should be “granted candidate status on the understanding that steps are taken in a number of areas.”

Recommendation from the European Commission will now be discussed by the leaders of the 27-country bloc in Brussels and only after unanimous approval from all member states, Ukraine and Moldova would be able to attain the candidate status.

European Commission chief Ursala von der Leyen said that the recommendation is based on the understanding that Ukraine carries out a number of political and economic reforms.

According to Ursala von der Leyen, “Ukraine has clearly demonstrated the country’s aspiration and the country’s determination to live up to European values and standards”.

“The entire process is merits-based. It goes by the book and therefore, progress depends entirely on Ukraine,” she told reporters in Brussels.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy applauded the European Commission’s decision. He tweeted that the decision will help Kyiv in defeating Russia’s invasion. “It’s the first step on the EU membership path that’ll certainly bring our victory closer. Grateful to Ursala von der Leyen & each [European Commission] member for a historic decision,” Zelenskyy said on Twitter.

^{European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) make statements following their talks in Kyiv on June 11, 2022. (Image Credit: Sergei Supinsky/AFP)}

Russia also said that they have been following Ukraine’s effort to join the bloc, especially amid the increasing defense cooperation between Ukraine and the EU. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that issue “requires our heightened attention, because we are all aware of the intensification of discussions in Europe on the subject of strengthening the defense component of the EU”.

The European Commission also proposed making Moldova an EU membership candidate. Georgia, however, will need to meet certain conditions before it can be granted the status.

Prior applicants had to wait years before attaining the candidate status of EU membership, however, Ukraine is an exception in the light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The same factor has played an important role in the case of Moldova as the country shares a large land border with Ukraine and it is under a constant threat of a possible invasion if Russia expands its military operations toward its borders.

Although the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called for immediate membership in the EU, the contract agreement stipulates a complicated process that must be fulfilled before any country can become a member of the EU.

Finland has been the quickest candidate to complete the process and become an EU member within three years of its application. Turkey on the other hand has been in negotiations since 2005 and failed to attain candidate status due to the failure of completing many conditions on the road to membership.