"The EU is preparing to begin technical work on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the bloc, despite a veto from Hungary. This is reported by the Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the process", - the BBC reports.
It is noted that Kyiv submitted its membership application back in 2022, but Hungary still objects to the next stage – the formal opening of so-called negotiation ‘clusters’, which allow the country’s legislation to be aligned with EU rules in various areas – from energy to competition and the rule of law.
A unanimous decision of the 27 bloc members is required to move to this stage.
The European Commission has proposed adjusting its own rules to bypass the veto of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, starting technical work on several ‘clusters’ even without a formal decision to open negotiations in these areas, sources for the publication said.