EU considers decoupling Moldova and Ukraine accession bids, says Enlargement Commissioner

The European Union is contemplating treating the membership applications of Ukraine and Moldova separately, according to European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.

In a recent interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kos said that the EU “does not rule out” the possibility of decoupling the two countries’ accession processes, particularly in light of Hungary’s opposition to Ukraine’s bid.

“We are already discussing with various member states what we can do, as no member state is opposed to opening the first cluster of negotiations with Moldova,” she said.

Kos also indicated that Moldova could potentially join the EU before the end of the current Commission’s mandate. “It would be a failure if we could not accept new members during the mandate of the current European Commission,” she remarked, highlighting Moldova as “an exemplary student in the entire group.”

The EU granted candidate status to both Ukraine and Moldova in June 2022. While formal accession talks have commenced, the process is intricate and subject to the unanimous approval of all 27 member states. Hungary’s resistance to Ukraine’s membership has been a significant impediment.