On June 12, 2026, the Member States of the European Union decided to open the first negotiation cluster for Ukraine as part of the EU accession negotiation process. This refers to Cluster 1, “Fundamentals,” which covers issues related to the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration reform, the judicial system, the fight against corruption, the protection of human rights, and the functioning of a market economy.
The opening of the first cluster is an important milestone in Ukraine’s European integration process and a sign of the European Union’s recognition of our country’s progress in implementing reforms, even in the context of a full-scale war. This decision also opens up opportunities to move toward substantive negotiations in the relevant areas and to proceed further toward opening other negotiation clusters.
It is expected that on June 15, during the intergovernmental conference between Ukraine and the EU, negotiations on Cluster 1 will officially begin. A similar decision has been made regarding the Republic of Moldova.
Of particular importance to Ukraine is the fact that the Cluster “Fundamentals” encompasses the public administration reform and the development of a professional civil service – areas that the European Commission has traditionally regarded as key conditions for successful integration into the European Union.