Ukraine Says EU Accession Talks Could Be Finished in Under Two Years

Ukraine asserts that its process of joining the European Union may be completed faster than previously expected.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to European Pravda.

An informal meeting of the EU General Affairs Council took place in Lviv, where European ministers and representatives of the European Commission discussed accelerating Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations and finding ways to circumvent Hungary’s blockade.

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka emphasized that unblocking the technical negotiations with the EU opens the possibility of completing the process earlier than the European Commission had forecasted.

According to him, the discussion now concerns not only classical technical aspects, but also security issues, which provide an additional incentive to accelerate the process.

During the meeting in Lviv, European officials officially announced the launch of a new technical negotiation format with Ukraine, which allows the country to continue implementing reforms and moving toward membership despite the blockade imposed by Viktor Orbán’s government. 

This mechanism, known as frontloading, effectively unblocks the practical accession work even without the formal consent of all EU member states.

Danish Minister for EU Affairs Marie Bjerre stressed that the member states had been forced to look for an alternative because Budapest refused to lift its blockade. She noted that although it was not possible to formally open Cluster 1, the participants agreed on a technical process that will allow progress to continue. 

“Today, EU member states have given clear direction for work... There is a list of reforms, and no one can veto Ukraine's implementation of these reforms,” she said.

EU Commissioner Marta Kos and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Taras Kachka also presented an agreed priority reform plan that will guide Ukraine through the newly launched technical phase of accession talks. 

According to their joint statement, the plan outlines ten key priorities focused on strengthening the rule of law, improving judicial independence, and reinforcing anti-corruption institutions.

The document lists the following ten priority reforms:

1. Adopt comprehensive amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code and related legislation to ensure swift and high-quality justice. This includes:
   – abolishing the “Lozovyi amendments” on automatic case closure;
   – extending statutes of limitations and strengthening grounds for their interruption or suspension in corruption cases;
   – increasing the independence of NABU and SAPO and protecting their jurisdiction from circumvention or undue influence;
   – expanding NABU and SAPO jurisdiction to all high-risk positions.

2. Ensure NABU has effective access to impartial, timely and high-quality forensic examinations.

3. Conduct a comprehensive review of the selection and dismissal procedure for the Prosecutor General.

4. Restart the selection process for appointing and transferring prosecutors to senior and other positions in the Prosecutor General’s Office, as well as regional and district prosecutor’s offices.

5. Reform the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).

6. Appoint without delay judges of the Constitutional Court and members of the High Council of Justice who have passed international vetting.

7. Expand the involvement of international experts in the selection commission for the High Qualification Commission of Judges (HQCJ).

8. Adopt the law on judicial integrity declarations. For the Supreme Court, this includes the temporary involvement of independent international experts.

9. Adopt the Anti-Corruption Strategy and the State Anti-Corruption Programme by Q2 2026.

10. Develop and strengthen internal control systems to prevent high-level corruption.

Kos clarified that these ten points are not a new plan but represent the most urgent priorities necessary for the success of Ukraine’s EU accession process.

As The Gaze previously reported, the European Union is exploring reforms to its enlargement process that could allow Ukraine and other candidate countries to join the bloc more quickly. 

Read more on The Gaze: How Ukraine Is Integrating into the EU Prior to Official Membership