Hungary has refused to approve the screening results of negotiation clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine and Moldova on Wednesday, July 22, putting Kyiv’s fast-tracked EU accession goal at risk.
The third attempt is now scheduled for Sept. 1, according to Interfax Ukraine, citing European Pravda’s sources in Brussels.
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This was announced during a meeting of the Council of the EU Working Party on Enlargement (COELA) on Wednesday, with the latest refusal marking Budapest’s second refusal after a similar decision five days ago.
During the previous COELA meeting on July 17, Hungary agreed to support the opening of cluster 3 for Moldova alone, refusing to back the same step for Ukraine. However, most EU member states rejected this differentiated approach.
Ukraine’s and Moldova’s paths remain closely linked, and any decision regarding their accession requires unanimous support from all 27 states.
What the clusters cover
Clusters 2 and 3 refer to the “Internal Market” and “Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth” parts of the accession process, both focusing on economic integration.
The EU member states officially opened “Fundamentals” cluster 1 for Ukraine and Moldova on June 15, during an Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg. The cluster covers the rule of law, human rights, and judicial reform.
Cluster 6, which covers common foreign and security policy, alongside trade policy and relations with third countries, was opened on July 14.
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Hungary’s ongoing objections
Hungary has repeatedly used its veto power to slow Ukraine’s EU accession timeline over the past year, previously blocking clusters 2 through 6 at the technical level before eventually partially lifting its objection to cluster 6 on July 3.
By blocking the joint letter to the European Council and Commission outlining the EU’s common position on opening five remaining clusters in late June, Hungary became the sole objector among all 27 member states.
Magyar argued at the time that speeding up the process wouldn’t be fair to the candidates in the Western Balkans.
“There are six clusters in total, and we don’t think opening them all at once is a good idea – partly because the ink on the first one isn’t even dry yet, and partly because it would send the wrong message to the countries of the Western Balkans,” Magyar told reporters at the Council meeting in Brussels.
Budapest has continuously cited the need for additional technical evaluation time for its experts, though many have deemed the objections as ranging from genuine technical reservations to more calculated procedural delays.
The accession procedure was previously blocked for many years under Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who opposed Ukraine’s EU membership and repeatedly cited concerns over the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
While Magyar has campaigned on similar platforms, he ultimately sealed what he called a “historic agreement” with Ukraine earlier in June, formally securing the educational, cultural, linguistic and political rights of the ethnic Hungarian communities in the Transcarpathia region.
Kyiv continues to push for faster accession
Ukrainian authorities say the country has met all technical requirements for opening the remaining clusters and warn that further delays could send the wrong political signal as Ukraine continues to fight Russia’s full-scale invasion while aligning its legislation with EU standards.
Zelensky has previously expressed hope for Hungary to support Ukraine’s path toward EU membership, despite its current disagreement over the pace of negotiations. So far, the majority of EU member states have expressed confidence in Ukraine’s long-term accession prospects, while also acknowledging that the process is likely to move forward step by step.
The gradual approach gained support, with authorities in Brussels saying there is no consensus among EU member states on opening all remaining clusters simultaneously.
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