Leaders of European Parliament Support Negotiations on Ukraine's Accession to EU

The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament welcomes the European Commission's recommendation to start negotiations with Ukraine on its accession to the European Union and expects the European Council to endorse this recommendation at its meeting in December. This is reported on the website of the European Parliament.

In particular, the Conference of Presidents welcomes the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Verkhovna Rada and the European Parliament.

"This is an important step in strengthening the multidimensional partnership, which is a crucial element in the preparation of Ukrainian political institutions for EU integration. This partnership will be reinforced by the establishment of a permanent presence of the European Parliament in Kyiv, developing and maintaining our ties with the Verkhovna Rada and the Ukrainian people. On this occasion, the Conference of Presidents reiterates its strong support for the European Council's decision to grant Ukraine candidate status in 2022 and welcomes the European Commission's positive recommendation of 8 November 2023 to start accession negotiations with Ukraine. It expects the European Council to confirm the recommendation at its meeting in December," the statement said.

The Conference of Presidents hopes that Ukraine will continue its "constructive and ambitious approach" to the necessary reforms. The leaders of the political groups also reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine's membership in the EU, which "is a geostrategic investment in a united and strong Europe".

"The Conference of Presidents underlines that Ukraine is and will remain a priority for the European Parliament. Ukraine can count on tireless efforts and commitment to protect the legitimate ambitions and aspirations of the Ukrainian people," the statement said.

Thus, the leaders of the political groups hope to intensify cooperation with the Verkhovna Rada in 2024, in particular through inter-committee meetings and visits during and after the European Parliament elections.

For reference: The Conference of Presidents consists of the President of the European Parliament and the heads of political groups.

As The Gaze previously reported, on Monday, Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Values and Transparency, arrived in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine's accession to the EU.

The vice president also reminded that the European Commission had recommended that Kyiv work on four priority reforms by March 2024: anti-corruption, de-oligarchisation, lobbying and minority rights.

In a report published on 8 November, the European Commission recommended that Kyiv start EU accession talks, but before that, Ukraine needs to implement some reforms. The Ukrainian government has stated that Ukraine is ready for accession and promised to implement reforms and complete negotiations in two years.