Media: Brussels Again Debates Separate Tracks for Moldova and Ukraine in EU Accession Process

The EU is once again considering the possibility of opening the first negotiation cluster on membership with Moldova – without taking such a step regarding Ukraine. This was reported to Politico by three diplomats and one EU official, according to eurointegration.com.ua. Under the scenario being studied by EU officials, European countries would vote to open the first “negotiation cluster” for Moldova – a key legal step on the path to membership – early next month following the meeting of EU ministers. Such a move would give a strong electoral boost to President Maia Sandu, whose party is campaigning on a pro-European platform while facing determined efforts by Russia aimed at swaying votes in Moscow’s favor. “We need to find a way to open the first cluster,” said Siegfried Muresan, a conservative MEP who chairs the EU-Moldova Association Committee in the European Parliament. But allowing Moldova to move forward while leaving Ukraine behind could become a demoralizing factor for Ukrainians. “There is a danger of sending the wrong signal to the Ukrainians,” a Ukrainian diplomat said. “At a time when the future of peace is being discussed in Alaska, we must keep the prospect of EU membership as strong as possible,” he added. Both Moldova and Ukraine have carried out far-reaching reforms for EU accession, completing all the necessary steps to open the first negotiation cluster. The problem is that Ukraine’s application is being blocked by Hungary, whose Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has made opposing Ukraine’s accession to the European Union a key point of his re-election campaign next year.