The European Union and Ukraine have launched a joint task force to accelerate the reforms Kyiv must complete before joining the bloc, following Hungary’s decision to lift its veto on opening two more accession negotiating clusters.
Announced by the European Commission on Friday, the initiative will bring together EU and Ukrainian officials to address outstanding requirements, with particular attention to the rule of law and anti-corruption measures. The task force is expected to meet twice a week over the coming months as Ukraine works to meet the conditions for advancing its membership bid.
Earlier this week, EU member states agreed to open two additional negotiating clusters, bringing Ukraine closer to addressing the full range of policy areas involved in accession. The remaining two clusters are expected to open by the end of the year.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced the new arrangement after discussions with Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi. In a statement published on X, Kos said Ukraine was among the countries making the most progress towards EU membership and confirmed that both sides had agreed to establish the task force following the latest negotiating developments.
The group’s immediate priority will be the interim benchmarks, which are requirements candidate countries must meet before they can begin closing individual negotiating chapters. These benchmarks cover fundamental areas of EU accession, including judicial standards, the rule of law and the fight against corruption.
Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, told Euronews that the task force would meet twice weekly over the next several months to accelerate the work needed to meet those requirements.
Hungary’s decision to lift its veto followed an agreement by Kyiv to address concerns over education rights for the Hungarian minority in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region. Ukraine’s parliament passed the relevant education law by a broad majority, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently signed it.
The agreement removed an obstacle to further progress in the accession negotiations and raised expectations that Ukraine’s political leadership can maintain the parliamentary support needed to pass the reforms required for EU membership. However, opening negotiating clusters does not mean that accession is guaranteed. Ukraine must still meet the conditions attached to the negotiations before the process can be completed.
A European Commission official told Euronews that the new task force follows a model previously used for Montenegro and Moldova. The approach is intended to give Ukraine’s accession process fresh momentum by bringing EU and Ukrainian officials together more frequently to work through outstanding requirements.
Kyiv is also expected to receive a roadmap outlining the main steps in the accession process, alongside an indicative timeline for completing the work. These documents are part of a broader EU enlargement package expected at the beginning of November.
Kos said the initiative demonstrated the EU’s commitment to supporting Ukraine’s path towards membership, while stressing that progress would depend on unity and sustained commitment among Ukrainian partners.
The task force gives Kyiv a more structured framework for addressing outstanding reforms, but the pace of further progress will depend on whether the government and parliament can deliver the changes required under the EU’s accession rules.
