The European Union could open the next accession negotiations cluster for Ukraine and Moldova on Tuesday, July 14, diplomatic sources confirmed to Kyiv Post following a report by European Pravda.
According to the sources, the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to the European Union, known as Coreper, agreed on Wednesday, July 8, to send letters to Ukraine and Moldova requesting their negotiating positions on Cluster 6, “External Relations.”
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The move is intended to allow the EU to approve its common negotiating position later this week and formally open the cluster during intergovernmental conferences on July 14.
EU prepares to open Cluster 6
The intergovernmental conferences are expected to take place in Brussels on the sidelines of the EU General Affairs Council.
The next step will be the approval of the EU’s common negotiating positions for Ukraine and Moldova. Diplomatic sources said EU member states are aiming to complete that step on Friday, July 10.
If approved, Cluster 6 would become the second accession negotiations cluster opened for Ukraine since the EU formally opened the first cluster, “Fundamentals,” on June 15.
The Fundamentals cluster covers areas including the rule of law, democratic institutions, public administration reform, economic criteria and fundamental rights. It is the first cluster to open and the last to close in the EU accession process.
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Cluster 6, “External Relations,” covers areas linked to foreign trade, external policy alignment and relations with non-EU countries.
Hungary dropped objection to Cluster 6
The expected opening of the cluster follows Hungary’s agreement on July 3 to allow the process to move forward for both Ukraine and Moldova.
Budapest had previously blocked the approval of screening results for Clusters 2-6 for both countries in the council’s enlargement working group.
Ukraine has repeatedly called on EU member states to open all negotiating clusters as quickly as possible, arguing that the enlargement process should reflect Kyiv’s reform progress and the geopolitical urgency created by Russia’s full-scale war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he hopes Poland and Hungary will not block the opening of all accession clusters for Ukraine in the near future.
Ukraine and Moldova formally launched EU accession negotiations in June 2024. Kyiv has described EU membership as a strategic priority and part of Ukraine’s long-term security and reconstruction path.
Cluster opening fits broader push to accelerate Ukraine’s EU path
The expected opening of Cluster 6 would add momentum to Ukraine’s EU accession process at a time when Brussels is exploring ways to anchor Kyiv more firmly in the bloc even before full membership.
Kyiv Post previously reported that EU officials and experts have discussed scenarios under which Ukraine could receive a form of political association with the EU while negotiations and reforms continue.
Such an approach could offer Kyiv a symbolic victory and strengthen its strategic anchoring in Europe without immediately granting full access to the single market, labor mobility or other key benefits of membership.
However, experts have warned that accelerated integration would not remove the need for reforms. Ukraine’s rule-of-law and anti-corruption agenda remains central to the accession process, while EU member states are expected to continue defending their own interests in sensitive areas such as agriculture, labor mobility and budget access.
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