On March 17, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko announced that her country's delegation to the European Union (EU) had received accession conditions related to the final 3 negotiation chapters.
This is the first time in Ukrainian history to have a comprehensive dossier of conditions, focusing on competitiveness, green programs and agricultural policies. However, the discovery of this huge requirement shows that this is only the starting point of an extremely arduous journey.
In fact, receiving the conditions does not mean that the door to the EU has opened. Standing Deputy Minister in charge of European Integration Taras Kachka noted that some countries in the alliance bloc are demanding that Ukraine implement far-reaching reforms and may have to wait up to 2 decades to complete.
To meet the strict standards from the EU, the Ukrainian Parliament needs to pass about 300 new laws - a huge number for any legislative body. Geopolitical observers discovered that the biggest barrier lies in the compatibility of Ukrainian agriculture with EU common regulations, which is a sensitive issue for many current members.
Historical precedents from countries like Turkey show that these negotiations could last for decades without a final outcome. Although Ukraine aims to be technically ready by 2027, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has affirmed that this roadmap is not feasible according to the current process.
European allies are setting very high standards, requiring Ukraine to make substantial changes instead of just stopping at political statements.
Receiving full negotiation conditions is a step forward in terms of procedures, but at the same time also exposes the difficult situation that Ukraine is facing. Kiev is urgently discovering resources to implement these 300 laws, but with caution from EU member states, the goal of joining the union is still a long-term problem.
Support from allies at this time is mainly focused on technical guidance, while the final decision still depends on the ability to complete the list of harsh conditions that Europe has just announced.
