Sources Tell RFE/RL Ukraine, Moldova To Get Backing On EU Bids, Georgia Lags

The European Commission will recommend candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, several sources familiar with the talks told RFE/RL, though the nod will come with conditions.

The commission is expected on June 17 to hand down its assessment of membership applications submitted by Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. The sources said Georgia will receive a pledge to be given candidate status once it meets specific conditions.

The recommendations are seen as a significant boost for the three countries, particularly for Ukraine, which hopes a quick path to the EU will add to its security amid Russia's unprovoked invasion.

The sources said further progress for Ukraine and Moldova will be conditioned by compliance in various policy fields, with the European Commission set to assess the situation by the end of the year.

For Ukraine, these conditions are believed to include transparency in prosecutorial appointments, the safeguarding of national minorities, and legislation in areas such as money laundering and de-oligarchization.

For Moldova, the conditions include judiciary reforms, energy, climate action, food safety, and competition policy.

For Georgia, the strict conditions to receive candidate status apply to reforms in the judiciary, amid years of concern in Brussels that Tbilisi has been backsliding in that area.

The sources said that certain issues remain open, such as the possibility to reverse candidate status in case progress on the conditions laid out aren't achieved. There are also talks on whether or not there should be certain political steps taken by the countries even before the status is granted.

Such issues are expected to be discussed when EU leaders meet in Brussels on June 23-24 to make a final decision on the European Commission's recommendations.

There has been skepticism among several western EU member states about granting candidate status to the trio, but both France and Germany appear to be on board after a June 16 trip to Kyiv that included German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.