EU advances Ukraine and Moldova toward membership under Irish presidency

EU diplomats said that on July 3 civil servants gave Ukraine and Moldova a green light to submit their negotiating positions for the next enlargement cluster covering external relations, foreign‑policy alignment and security matters. The invitation opens the second of six required reform clusters, after the first cluster was opened in mid‑June.

The Irish government, holding the EU’s rotating six‑month Council Presidency since July 1, pushed the step forward. Prime Minister Micheál Martin said advancing EU integration would be a priority, and the agreement ends Hungary’s earlier block on further progress.

If the 27 member states approve the positions, the formal Intergovernmental Conference to open the new chapter is expected on July 14. The advance may bring both countries two of the six required clusters into the accession track, though full membership still depends on unanimous approval of subsequent reforms.