Hungary Blocks Opening of Next Chapters in EU Accession Talks with Ukraine
Hungary objected on Friday to opening the next chapters in EU accession talks with Ukraine, delaying the decision until July 22.
The EU Enlargement Working Group (COELA) was scheduled on Friday to approve requests from Ukraine and Moldova to submit the bloc's stance on two negotiation chapters: the internal market, and competitiveness and inclusive growth. However, Hungary opposed this move, refusing to support the opening of these chapters for Ukraine.
Hungary only agreed to send a letter to Moldova regarding a third chapter, but several other EU member states objected to such a separation between Ukraine and Moldova. They did not support Hungary's proposal, arguing that both countries should be treated equally.
As a result, EU members decided to postpone the issue to the next COELA meeting on July 22, which will be the last session before the summer break. The talks on Ukraine's EU accession have once again hit a deadlock due to Hungary's resistance.
