Ukraine received accession conditions for the final three EU negotiation clusters in Brussels on March 17. This means all six clusters are now unofficially open.
Details
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that the country received benchmarks for three clusters: “Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth,” “Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity,” and “Resources, Agriculture and Cohesion Policy.” She said Ukraine now has the full set of conditions required for EU membership. According to her, this is the first time in history that Ukraine holds all accession benchmarks at once.
Svyrydenko also recalled that in December 2025, Ukraine received benchmarks for three other clusters: “Fundamentals,” “Internal Market,” and “External Relations.”
“We are moving confidently along our European integration path. The next steps are to successfully close the clusters and sign the accession treaty. This will be the final step toward full EU membership,” she said.
The government will continue implementing the required reforms and measures. It will also report progress to the EU. On March 17, the government submitted the document with the new requirements to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for joint work.
EU position
As of March 17, all six clusters in Ukraine’s EU accession talks are unofficially open. Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, confirmed this, according to European Pravda. She said Europe faces pressure from both the West and the East, so there is no time to lose.
Kos stressed that Ukraine has a chance to speed up reforms that improve daily life. These include jobs, business conditions, energy, transport, and support for rural communities.
“At the same time, we are continuing the work on the action plan for the ten reform priorities agreed in Lviv with a strong focus on the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and building strong, accountable democratic institutions,” she said.
Reforms under the third cluster aim to create more jobs, improve business conditions, and attract investment. The fourth cluster focuses on energy, electricity supply, and the quality of roads, railways, and border crossings. The fifth cluster targets stronger agriculture, support for rural areas, and better use of land and water resources.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Ukraine and Romania launched a strategic partnership. It includes joint drone production, energy security, and protection of minority rights. The countries formalized the cooperation during a visit by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Bucharest.
