What happens next as the intricate process progresses?
While opening negotiations mark a significant milestone for Ukraine, many hurdles remain.
Schimmelfennig explains that negotiations now move into a more technical phase, with Ukrainian officials and the European Commission meeting to assess progress.
“[The Commission] will present the E.U.’s list of conditions to be fulfilled, and on the other side, Ukraine will tell the E.U. what they plan to do, and how they plan to meet these conditions. From time-to-time they will come together again, and check where things stand,” he says.
Accession negotiations are divided into six clusters, with the first cluster considered the most important.
Known as the “fundamentals” cluster, it focuses on democracy, rule of law, governance, and judicial reform.
Schimmelfennig notes that “you cannot close any of the other chapters and clusters unless you meet certain benchmarks for this first cluster.”
