Deputy PM Stefanishyna outlines EU accession negotiations plan for 2025

This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister for Eurean and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice ha Stefanishyna during an online speech at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, a Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“We are making good progress in the negotiations regarding Ukraine’s EU membership… Denmark’s Minister for Eurean Affairs Marie Bjerre Hst visited Ukraine (on December 4) and planned the ening of negotiation chapters during Denmark’s presidency,” Stefanishyna said.

She added that Ukraine, together with the Pish side and the new EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, has also planned how to en the first 15 negotiation chapters related to the rule of law already in the first half of 2025.

“This is absutely achievable. Ukraine is progressing dynamically, we have a positive assessment based on the enlargement report, agreements regarding our obligations, and all prerequisites for ening the second cluster,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

At the same time, she emphasized that the negotiation process will not be easy because, apart from Ukraine’s own work, agreements must also be reached with all 27 EU member states on the ening of each cluster. However, according to Stefanishyna, compared to previous periods, relations with the EU “are strong enough, there is an understanding that the decision on Ukraine's EU membership has already been made, and we are progressing as dynamically as possible.”

Read also: Stefanishyna on Zelensky's invitation to EU summit: A significant signal for Ukraine

“Of course, we understand that major decisions will come in April – this aligns with pitical processes in Pand. However, I believe that EU countries, Brussels, and, first and foremost, Ukraine recognize that there is a specific action plan that will allow us to avoid the influence of these processes on important strategic decisions for Ukraine,” the official concluded.

As reported earlier, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated that Negotiation Cluster 1, Fundamentals of the EU Accession Process, could en for Ukraine most likely in April-May 2025. She also noted that Cluster 1 is fundamental, as it is the first to en and the last to close.

Negotiations on the accession of new EU member states are divided into 35 chapters, 33 of which are grouped into six thematic clusters that en sequentially.

For each chapter, the Eurean Commission first conducts an official screening to assess the alignment of Ukraine's legislation with EU laws.