Ukraine is sufficiently qualified to apply without additional preconditions.
Decision on candidate status for Ukraine not yet accepted in the EU . In addition, even in traditionally skeptical capitals there is an understanding: Ukraine should offer something at the June Rada – the only question is what exactly , writes in the article the director of the Center “New Europe” Alyona Hetmanchuk.
“Many of our interlocutors appealed to the content of the forthcoming conclusion of the European Commission on the basis of the answers provided by the Ukrainian side in the questionnaire. Currently, four options are being considered for a possible conclusion of the European Commission , “the expert said.
< p> The first option is unequivocally positive, it will recommend unconditionally granting Ukraine candidate status at the June Rada. Other option – the so-called conditional conclusion: the recommendation to apply if Ukraine meets certain preconditions in the areas of rule of law, anti-corruption, media freedom. The third option is to offer Ukraine a European perspective. The fourth option is to propose the potential candidate status that currently exists in Bosnia and Kosovo. It is possible that the conclusion will contain mix two options – first of all the second and fourth.
“Yes, at the level of the EU representatives involved in the negotiations the probability of mixing the potential status of the candidate from a list of prerequisites – a specific reform roadmap – for candidate status. This is obviously not what Ukraine needs: roadmaps are needed for membership, we are sufficiently qualified to apply without additional preconditions ” , – Hetmanchuk emphasizes.
In addition, it is not surprising that, not yet having the opinion of the European Commission , in some capitals are already considering the idea of a roadmap for reforms to get a candidate , says the expert.
“span style =” font-weight: 400; “>” This makes the position of those member states rather hypocritical, which say that everything will depend on the conclusion of the EC. Or maybe some member states have reason to believe that the conclusion of the European Commission will not be clear and, ultimately, decisions will be made in member states – that is, there will be a kind of ping-pong between Brussels and the capitals. And several capitals. As there will be very little time between the opinion and the EU Council, the local EU Commissioners are forming positions today, without waiting for an opinion, “Hetmanchuk said.
Read also: Key warnings against EU candidate status not directly related to Ukraine – expert
Read more about “confrontations with reality” and proposals on how to overcome it by June in the article Alona Hetmanchuk “EU candidate status: who and why is ready to refuse Ukraine.”
