Ukraine EU accession talks are set to take a major step on Tuesday, October 13, when the European Union is expected to open two more negotiating clusters on the country’s path to joining the EU.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha voiced the expectation on Monday after meeting his Hungarian counterpart Anita Orban in Luxembourg, on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. Sybiha said the two ministers noted the successful fulfilment of their bilateral agreements, and thanked Budapest for what he called its constructive position on advancing Kyiv’s accession negotiations.
FAKTA
- What: The EU is expected to open accession clusters 2 (Internal Market) and 3 (Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth) with Ukraine.
- When: October 13, at the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg.
- Key condition: Ukraine’s parliament passed education amendments granting national minorities, including Hungarian speakers, broader rights to education in their own languages.
- Why it matters: The step brings Ukraine closer to its goal of opening all six negotiating clusters by the end of the year.
- Also in the frame: Moldova is on track to open the same two clusters at its own accession conference.
Minority rights deal with Hungary advances Ukraine EU accession
Earlier on Monday, Ukraine’s parliament adopted amendments to the country’s education legislation that widen the rights of national minorities to receive education in their own languages, including the Hungarian-speaking community. The move follows EU best practices and was part of an understanding with Hungary’s new government, which agreed to lift its blocking of Kyiv’s EU accession — a breakthrough after long resistance from Budapest that had slowed the talks for months.
At the technical level, the EU’s Committee of Permanent Representatives cleared the screening letters for both Ukraine and Moldova on October 7, and the Irish Council presidency sent invitations to Kyiv and Chișinău to submit their negotiating positions. The EU’s draft common positions are now expected to be agreed at ambassador level ahead of the formal opening.
Kyiv’s race against the calendar
Kyiv and Chișinău share an ambitious target: opening all six negotiating clusters by the end of the year. The two candidates have been linked in a package approach for more than four years, and the October 13 conferences would bring each of them to four out of six clusters opened.
Sybiha also used the Luxembourg meeting to brief EU partners on intensified Russian attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. The agenda included tightening sanctions pressure on Moscow and strengthening Ukraine’s energy resilience. Progress on the internal market cluster carries particular weight, EU officials note, because it touches directly on economic security and critical infrastructure.
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