EU opens fundamental rights cluster with Ukraine and Moldova – Meinl-Reisinger pushes for faster procedures

"Die Eröffnung des ersten Clusters ist der größte Fortschritt für die Ukraine und Moldau, seit sie 2023 den offiziellen EU-Kandidatenstatus erhalten haben", sagte Kos. She expects all five outstanding clusters to be opened as early as July. The negotiating framework comprises a total of 33 chapters, grouped into several thematic clusters. Alongside fundamental rights, these include the single market, competitiveness, the green agenda and sustainability, agriculture and cohesion, and external relations.

Blockade ended – new momentum for Kyiv and Chișinău

Although accession negotiations with Kyiv were formally opened back in June 2024, in substance the previous Hungarian government had blocked any progress. With the change of government in Budapest, Meinl-Reisinger now sees an opportunity: she expressly welcomed the more constructive course of the new Hungarian government under Peter Magyar. At the same time, she criticised former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for adopting a blocking stance instead of seeking substantive solutions to the question of the Hungarian minority.

The Austrian foreign minister called for a fundamental acceleration of the procedure. "Wir müssen den Beitrittsprozess insgesamt beschleunigen", she stressed. Accession negotiations are "kein Gnadenakt der EU gegenüber einem Land", but bring the necessary pressure to implement reforms in the candidate countries. With regard to shortcomings in the rule of law in Ukraine, Meinl-Reisinger said: "Deshalb brauchen wir Beitrittsverhandlungen." These are there to resolve the open questions.

Unanimity as a drag

At the heart of her criticism is the unanimity principle. There are currently "unendlich viele einstimmige Beschlüsse" in this process, the foreign minister criticised. Austria is therefore in favour of a greater use of qualified majority decisions. Procedures that take ten to twenty years lead to a "Selbstlähmung" of the EU. Kos made similar remarks with a view to Montenegro: the Western Balkan state could, in her words, "die Zielgerade überqueren" by the end of the Irish EU Council Presidency at the end of the year. Montenegro has so far closed 16 of around 33 negotiating chapters, including the chapters on free movement of workers and consumer protection on Monday, and is aiming to join the EU from 2028.

Alongside enlargement, sanctions against Russia were on the agenda. The EU foreign ministers are discussing a 21st sanctions package targeting the energy, trade, financial services and crypto-assets sectors. In light of recent Russian attacks on Ukraine, Meinl-Reisinger spoke out in favour of further punitive measures. Russia's economic situation is catastrophic, with a "reine Kriegswirtschaft" prevailing. The EU will therefore tighten the screws, "damit wir schneller Frieden haben".

FPÖ criticises negotiations as the wrong signal

At Austria's initiative, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina was also discussed. Meinl-Reisinger described the withdrawal of Christian Schmidt as High Representative of the international community as "keine gute Nachricht". 74 percent of Bosnians are in favour of EU integration. Kos hopes that the EU will stand united behind a candidate to succeed Schmidt.

Outlook: What comes next

Criticism of the enlargement line came from the FPÖ camp. Delegation leader Harald Vilimsky called the continuation of accession negotiations with Ukraine "ein völlig falsches Signal" given the ongoing war. Corruption in Ukraine is a structural problem that extends "bis in das Umfeld von Präsident Selenskyj hinein".

Overall, the picture that emerges is this: with the entry into the "Cluster Fundamentals" and the chapters opened in Montenegro, the enlargement process is gaining new momentum. The structural question of whether the EU can in future decide on negotiation steps by qualified majority rather than unanimously remains one of the central challenges – not only for Kyiv and Chișinău, but for the entire accession architecture.

The meeting in Luxembourg marks a turning point, because for the first time since the formal start of the Ukraine negotiations in 2024, substantive talks are being held. If the pace is maintained, the remaining clusters could follow within just a few weeks – provided the EU member states find a mode that more effectively limits the ability of individual governments to block progress.