Ukraine will not completely fulfill all the seven EU recommendations presented to Kyiv to launch accession talks by October, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine on Aug. 17.
However, the country should be able to ensure the implementation of all agreed legislative and institutional steps by that period, she added. Ukraine should also be able to restore on time the electronic declaration of assets for public officials, as per the EU recommendations, Stefanishyna commented.
"In October, we will not hear that we have implemented all seven recommendations by 100% since we are talking about the fundamental transformations in the country that are related to human rights, the process of deoligarchization, which has also become one of the pillars of fundamental democratic reforms," Stefanishyna said during the event "What does Ukraine's path to the EU look like" in Kyiv.
"These are changes that will be introduced for years."
Stefanishyna nevertheless said that the Ukrainian government hopes for the accession talks to start by the end of 2023, with December considered to be "the last opportunity" to make the decision.
Ukraine officially applied for EU membership in late February 2022 and was granted candidate status in June last year. To start the membership negotiation process, Kyiv needs to implement seven reforms outlined by the European Commission.
On June 22, the Commission said that Ukraine has completed two out of seven steps. At the time, Stefanishyna voiced conviction that Kyiv will be able to fulfill the remaining five criteria by October 2023, when the European Commission is expected to provide an official assessment of the progress.
Oleksiy Sorokin
