“Ukraine Does Not Ask for Concessions – We Ask for Predictability”

Oleksandr Ilkov, Director General of the Government Office for Coordination on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, at the 4th EU Accession Exchange Forum stated that Ukraine is definitely a game-changer as it was Ukraine that revitalized the EU enlargement policy and transformed it from distant aspiration into a living and dynamic process.

Here are the main points of his speech:

We have set the ambitious goal for this year to adopt our national program which will guide us through the whole accession process. And it is becoming increasingly clear that we are approaching a stage where greater clarity and greater predictability from our partners are also essential. Without unlocking the negotiating process, we risk entering a phase of reform fatigue. Not because of a lack of will, commitment is there, but because major reforms now require substantial political capital in order to move forward;
Ukraine does not ask for concessions – we ask for predictability. We need a clear and credible roadmap where every successful reform is rewarded with tangible progress. Not only through advances in the negotiation process, but also through deep access to the internal market, through broader participation of Ukraine in EU programs and with more structured financial support. And this is what we call a real merit-based approach, the very core of the negotiation framework;
For the first time in history, a majority of EU citizens support Ukraine’s membership. And now, according to the recent results of Eurobarometer, Ukraine is a favourite candidate among all others in 14 member states. And I think that we cannot afford to lose this momentum;
The next enlargement has become not only a matter of policy but geopolitical necessity for the entire continent. A geopolitical approach to enlargement does not replace a values-based one. It reinforces it. It is not a shortcut, but an accelerator. It answers the question ‘why now?’ It’s because our common security and freedom depend on it;
It is important to preserve momentum and maintain engagement despite this situation. That is why we are open to first holding technical consultations within the EU Council mechanisms, to ensure that all sides are as well prepared as possible when the political decision to open the negotiation cluster is finally taken. At the same time, I understand that these consultations must remain informal and complementary; they cannot replace the official accession procedure;
To prepare for an enlargement, the EU will of course need internal reforms. But this process must go hand in hand with enlargement, not become a pretext for its postponement. Reforms of the EU should not be an additional condition for the completion of Ukraine’s accession;
Ukraine’s accession will not only complete the European project, it will transform it. The European Union that includes Ukraine will be more secure, more competitive, and more confident in its global role;
It’s in our interest to move forward and not just to stop and wait for what will happen in Budapest in April of next year. And I think that is why, starting from May this year, there was a long way to find this;
First it was called a creative solution, how to open clusters despite Hungary’s veto. Now we have a new term for this, frontloading. And I think that this might work. The only thing, and we are now discussing this with our partners, is that we want to see very concrete outcomes of this process. And this will allow us to structure our work.

Watch the full recording of the Forum on New Europe Center`s Youtube channel.

The EU Accession Exchange Forum is organized by the New Europe Center in partnership with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, the International Renaissance Foundation, and the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (Republic of Moldova), with Ukrinform and European Pravda serving as media partners. The EU Accession Exchange Forum is taking place with EU support, within the EU-funded “Whole-of-Society Accession” project implemented by the International Renaissance Foundation.