EU Says It Will Review Requests of Ukraine, Moldova & Georgia to Become EU Members
The permanent representatives of the European Union Member States have agreed that the EU should examine the applications submitted by governments of Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova to become EU members in the light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The decision was taken last Monday during a meeting of COREPER II, which is composed of each Member States’ permanent representatives and is currently chaired by the permanent representative of France, Océane Thieriot.
“COREPER II agreed to invite EU Commission to present an opinion on each of the applications for EU membership submitted by Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova,” it was announced in the official Twitter account of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The Council will now launch a written procedure and seek the opinion of the EU Commission on the matter.
On February 28, following the fourth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the latter’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announced through his official Facebook account that he had signed the application for EU membership. The post followed a video in which President Zelensky urged the EU authorities to allow Ukraine’s immediate accession under what he called a “new special procedure.”
“Our goal is to be with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be equal…I am confident that it is fair. I am confident we have deserved it. I am confident that all this is possible,” he said in the video.
Immediately after, both Georgia and Moldova joined Ukraine’s plea to become members of the EU.
However, the road towards EU membership is long and complex as there are lots of criteria that need to be met. Amongst others, the countries wishing to join the EU must have a free-market economy, a stable democracy and the rule of law. The same must accept all EU legislation, including the euro. So far, none of the three has adopted the euro as their currency.
While the decision to review these three countries’ requests have been welcomed by many, others have called on the expedition of the procedures.
“The process is long and complex, and the final step requires the approval of all 27 member states. What are they waiting for until Russia attacks another country? The decision should be made immediately, it’s about the lives of millions of people and the continued existence of Europe,” a Twitter user under the handler @DaroRa18018 commented under a tweet of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Currently, Albania, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey have the status of candidate countries. In contrast, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina are potential candidate countries.
Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, on the other hand, are classified under the “Eastern Partnership”, through which the bloc intends to help these three countries to gradually adopt democratic and legal reforms that would bring them closer to the EU.
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