Even if Ukraine gets candidate status in June, it is important to understand that after that, the work on joining the EU will really begin. And even at maximum speed, it will take many years.
Ukraine completes filling in status questionnaires EU candidate . How will the next consideration of her application, what may be the conclusion of the European Commission and why the EU summit in June is important, says DW. It will be recalled that President Zelensky signed Ukraine's application for EU membership on February 28.
By the end of this week, Ukraine will complete the second part of the questionnaire on its application for EU membership. This was announced on May 2 by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Ukraine for European Integration Olga Stefanyshyna.
The first questionnaire consists of political and economic parts. The issues concern the political system of Ukraine with an emphasis on the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and respect for human rights. That is, it is about how democracy and the rule of law function in Ukraine.
The second part of the first questionnaire is significantly shorter, it deals with the state of the economy and finances, in particular the business climate, the level of privatization and the degree of state intervention in the economy. The main task is to find out whether Ukraine has a market economy that can withstand the competitive pressures that exist in the European Union.
In total, the questionnaire has almost 370 questions on about 40 pages. Therefore, it is not surprising that the answers to it are collected in two thick volumes. Their President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi handed over to Matti Maasikas, Head of the EU Delegation in Kyiv, on April 18, a record 10 days after receiving the first questionnaire.
The second poll concerns the implementation of EU law in Ukraine.
It was handed over to Ukraine on April 13 and is much larger than the first one – almost 240 pages with almost two thousand questions. This part is devoted to EU law, called the acquis. The aim is to find out what legal norms and rules apply in Ukraine and to what extent European legislation is implemented in it. The issue is divided into 33 sections. These are the same chapters to be negotiated for EU accession, such as freedom of movement of goods, taxation or the environment, and climate change.
The issue of implementation of EU legislation is not new for Ukraine, because Kyiv has been doing this for several years within the framework of the Association Agreement. For example, there are already independent electricity and gas operators in the country. And in foreign policy, Kyiv regularly joins EU sanctions, not only against Russia, but also, for example, against Iran or Myanmar.
The war will also affect its response. After all, some issues concern the assessment of the level of oil reserves in accordance with EU norms or the state of automobiles and railways. It is known that Russian troops are actively attacking and destroying both oil storage facilities and transport infrastructure of Ukraine.
Based on Ukraine's responses, the European Commission (EC) will prepare its conclusion – to, as its chairman Ursula von der Leyen said, get a “clear picture of the situation in the country.” Ukraine's answers are already being worked out in Brussels.
When von der Leyen brought the first part of the questionnaire to Kyiv, she promised: “We will speed up this process as much as possible, while ensuring that all conditions are met.” In a comment to DW, European Commission spokeswoman Ana Pisonero reaffirmed von der Leyen's promise to “complete preparations for imprisonment in weeks, not years”. “We are not working under normal circumstances,” she added.
In practice, the whole process goes in parallel: the Ukrainian authorities started preparing their answers even before they received the questionnaires. And when filling it out, officials in Kyiv and Brussels maintain constant contact and can adjust the whole process so that the answers provide exactly the information that the EC needs.
What conclusion can the European Commission provide on Ukraine's request?
Questionnaires and answers to them – confidential documents. But the EC publishes its opinion after it is approved by the Board of European Commissioners. Georgia and Moldova are also working on their answers to similar questionnaires.
What can be the conclusion of the European Commission? There are two possible options. The first is to recommend candidate status. The second is to make a series of recommendations if Brussels officials decide that the country is not ready. This is exactly what happened to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EC opinion in 2019 recognized it as insufficiently prepared and gave 14 recommendations. This country is still considered only a potential candidate.
The EU summit in June may consider Ukraine's membership. Speaking in Kyiv on April 20, Council President Charles Michel said: “The European Commission is expected to publish an opinion on this application by the end of June. We will take into account the moment when the European Commission publishes this opinion, and I will decide when it would be appropriate to put this topic on the agenda. “
The EC does not have a clear deadline for it to prepare an opinion. The end of June is an important milestone, as the EU summit will take place in Brussels on 23-24 June. This is an early period when the status of candidates for Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova can be considered. If they do not have time by June, everyone will postpone it to autumn – the next regular EU summit is scheduled for the end of October. To make it to the summer summit, the European Commission needs to publish its opinion in the first half of mid-June. According to the EC, this term is quite realistic.
“We are fully capable (in time. – Ed.), And the European Commission can ensure that all procedures are completed before the summit in June,” – said Stefanishina in an interview with Euractiv.
there is a consensus in the EU on granting Ukraine candidate status
A positive conclusion of the European Commission does not mean granting the status of a candidate for admission. After all, in the future the issue will be considered by EU member states. It is they who make the final decision. This requires their consensus at all stages of the EU membership process. “It is no secret that there are different opinions and sensitive issues at the European Council's table on the principle of enlargement,” said Charles Michel in Kyiv.
the EU will be ready for this. With her cautious statements, Michelle may be hinting that the June summit may not address the issue of candidate status. After all, everything depends on the position of the EU member states, and so far there is no unity among them.
Formally, the decision on whether to grant Ukraine candidate status is made by the EU Council. But consent must also be given at the EU summit. According to DW sources, it is unclear whether the issue will be considered first by the Council of the European Union or immediately by the leaders of the 27 member states.
Read also: Ukrainian crossroads of the European Union
If Ukraine gets in June, it is important to understand that after that the work on joining the EU will really begin. And even at the maximum rate, it will take many years.
Read also: Austria does not believe in the accelerated procedure of Ukraine's accession to the EU, there is still talk of “5-10 years”
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva is more optimistic. Responding to questions from journalists on April 11, he expressed the opinion that Ukraine's accession to the EU will take place in the coming years.
“Exactly not a decade or five years. civilians who are currently under fire, children who want to live in European Ukraine will not allow us to do that. It is about years, “Zhovkva said.
