17 DECEMBER 2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the process of assessing Ukrainian legislation for compliance with EU law will begin in the coming days, and the “negotiation framework” may be approved in the spring.

Source: the President’s evening address

Quote: “We have secured the decision of the European Council, for which we have been working all year, to open accession negotiations.

In the coming days, we will officially initiate with the European Commission the process of assessing Ukrainian legislation for compliance with the EU acquis – the screening process.  We are also preparing to work on the negotiation framework for Ukraine – we expect it in the spring.

The negotiation process will not be easy, but the key thing is that historically we have reached a decision: Ukraine will always be part of our common European home.” 

Background:

• At a summit in Brussels on 14 December, EU leaders accepted the European Commission’s recommendation to begin accession negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine.
• The EU leaders’ decision means that the European Commission will begin to prepare the technical aspects of membership negotiations with Ukraine (the so-called negotiation framework) without further delay. The framework could be approved at the next EU summit in the spring of 2024 if it is recognised that Ukraine has met all of the European Commission’s previous criteria.
• Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, said that the Ukrainian government will start talks with the European Commission next week to prepare the next steps for Ukraine’s movement towards the EU.

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/12/17/7433474/