The EU starts “screening Ukraine” before accession talks start

The Ukrainian delegation took part in a kick-off meeting in Brussels to launch screening, an important process of assessing Ukrainian legislation for compliance with EU law, which precedes the official start of accession negotiations.

The press service of Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna, who headed the Ukrainian delegation, reported this.

As part of the preparations for the immediate pre-accession talks, Ukraine will develop roadmaps in the areas of rule of law, freedom of movement of persons (justice, freedom, and security), and public administration reform.

During the meeting, the European team presented the features and stages of the official screening process.

As part of this process, the EU has scheduled meetings between representatives of Ukrainian ministries and the European Commission.

The Vice Prime Minister emphasized that Ukrainian institutions have mobilized and are ready to work actively together.

“Screening is the first fundamental step at the beginning of the negotiation process. As we start this process, we realize the responsibility that comes with it. It is not just a list of reforms, but a collective effort to ensure that Ukraine meets the high standards set by the European Union.

In this context, I am pleased to welcome the launch of the European Commission’s analytical review of Ukrainian legislation for compliance with the EU acquis,” Stefanishyna emphasized.

She reminded us that Ukraine had carried out a self-screening process even before receiving the official decision of the European Council, which allowed us to determine the state of adaptation of Ukrainian legislation to the European one.

“The expertise, recommendations, and constructive feedback from the Directorate General (which is in charge of the enlargement negotiations, Ed.) will be invaluable in the screening process. I hope for fruitful cooperation,” Stefanishyna added.

The participants of the meeting discussed approaches to the formation of negotiating teams, the preparation of the EU negotiation framework and Ukraine’s negotiating position, the first intergovernmental conference, and the calendar of interaction for the coming months.

Prior to the meeting, Stefanishyna met with the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Olivér Várhelyi. During the meeting, they discussed Ukraine’s implementation of four recommendations of the European Commission, the preparation of the negotiation framework, and the launch of the screening process.