EU Grants Ukraine, Moldova ‘Candidate Status’, First Step In Long Way To Full Membership

The European Commission on Friday accorded Ukraine and Moldova ‘candidate status’. This is a symbolic step but both nations have a long way to go before becoming full-fledged members of the European Union (EU).

The EU executive committee said that Moldova and Kyiv will have to meet conditions in the future related to rule of law, justice and anti-corruption. Georgia was not accorded a candidate status since it was yet to meet specific conditions, news agency Bloomberg said, quoting people familiar with the developments.

The recommendation from the European Commission can be seen as a significant move for Ukraine which has turned westward owing to Russian invasion which has neared for four months leading to displacement and deaths of civilians as well as armed forces of both nations.

“Ukraine is a European state which has given ample proof of its adherence to the values on which the European Union is founded. The commission, therefore, recommends that Ukraine be granted candidate status…,” the recommendation said.

There are few important steps that Kyiv now has to take to cement its chances of becoming a full-fledged EU member. The EU document, accessed by news agency Bloomberg, says that Ukraine has to –

1. Execute a legislation on selection procedure for judges of the Constitutional Court
2. Fully complete integrity vetting of candidates for various judicial councils
3. Name a new head of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and strengthen its fight against corruption
4. Make sure that an anti-money laundering legislation is brought forth which will be in compliance with the standards of the Financial Action Task Force
5. Bring an anti-oligarch legislation and ensure its implementation
6. Ensure that vested interests are tackled by adopting a new media law aligned with EU media directives
7. Bring forth reforms in the legal framework for national minorities and finalize the said legislation

“We all know that Ukrainians are ready to die for the European perspective. We want them to live with us for the European dream,” European Commission chief Ursula Von Der Leyen was quoted as saying by news agency AFP

Germany’s Olaf Scholz, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Mario Draghi who visited Kyiv this week bolstered Ukraine’s chances for achieving the objective even though the French president and heads of states of Denmark and the Netherlands were earlier apprehensive. 

The bloc will meet next week on June 23 for further discussions.

(with inputs from Agence-France Presse and Bloomberg News)

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