Written by journalist Danylo Aleksandrov

On Friday, all of the 27 members of the European Union have reached an agreement to open the “Fundamentals” – the first cluster of talks regarding the accession of Ukraine and Moldova into the bloc.

The agreement was reached in Brussels by ambassadors of the member states, who expressed their mutual position on letting the next phase of the talks commence. The decision became possible after Hungary lifted its veto on these negotiations last week.

On June 15th representatives of EU will hold separate conferences with governments of Ukraine and Moldova in Luxembourg. The first cluster, or the “Fundamentals” as it is sometimes called, covers such essential questions as the rule of law, human rights and reforms of the justice system. This would be the beginning of a difficult and time consuming process for the candidate countries. Overall, it would take 33 chapters and 6 cluster to become a member of the EU.

For Ukraine this is a big step forward, as it shows its population the progress towards the goal the country strives for so long. The European Commission and some of the member states have positive view of the process that’s about to begin. Among them is Cyprus, which currently holds the presidency in the European Commission and wants to open another cluster before June ends.

Though this is a long awaited event, it does not mean that the process will go quickly. Despite different opinions and proposals, most of the member states support the idea of keeping the negotiations in line with the EU’s requirements, which means that any fast-track is unlikely. The majority also reject the proposals such as the one recently put forward by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz which would give Ukraine a special, "associate membership" status.

In a joint statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa they say that the opening of the first cluster “Is a recognition of the determination, courage and hard work shown by both countries in advancing reforms, even in the face of immense challenges,".