European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have welcomed the agreement by all EU member states to open the first accession negotiations cluster with Ukraine and Moldova, calling it a major step forward. In a joint statement on 16 June 2026, the two presidents said the cluster on fundamentals, covering rule of law and democratic institutions, will be formally opened at the first Intergovernmental Conference on Monday. They described the move as recognition of the determination and reform efforts shown by both countries despite immense challenges, and a signal that the EU's offer of peace, stability and opportunity is unmatchable.
Enlargement as a strategic choice
The statement frames enlargement as a strategic choice that strengthens peace, security and prosperity across the continent. "In a world marked by growing uncertainty, a larger European Union is in our common interest," the presidents said, adding that enlargement remains one of the EU's greatest success stories and its best investment in a shared future. The agreement marks the first time accession negotiations have been opened with Ukraine and Moldova since the European Council granted candidate status in June 2022 and formally opened accession talks in December 2023.
No prior coverage of this specific development exists in recent EU Matrix records. The statement does not provide a timeline for further clusters or a target date for accession, but the opening of the fundamentals cluster is widely seen as the most politically sensitive phase of the negotiation process, requiring sustained progress on judicial reform, anti-corruption measures, and public administration overhaul.
Impact on stakeholders
For Ukraine and Moldova, the agreement provides a tangible milestone that reinforces their European trajectory amid ongoing security challenges and domestic reform pressures. EU institutions gain a renewed demonstration of unity on enlargement policy, though the pace of future negotiations will depend on unanimous member state consent. For existing EU member states, the decision carries both geopolitical benefits — anchoring stability in the Eastern neighbourhood — and institutional implications, as deeper integration with new members will require adjustments to EU budgets and decision-making procedures. Business and investment communities in both candidate countries may see increased investor confidence as the accession process gains momentum, while civil society organisations are likely to press for continued monitoring of rule-of-law benchmarks.
Next steps
The first Intergovernmental Conference, expected to take place in the coming days, will formally launch the negotiations on the fundamentals cluster. Subsequent clusters covering areas such as internal market, competitiveness, and agriculture will be opened once the European Commission assesses that sufficient progress has been made on the initial benchmarks.
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