A reservation submitted by Hungary regarding the screening results for negotiation clusters 2–6 in the European Union accession processes of Moldova and Ukraine is not viewed as a critical obstacle in Brussels, according to sources within EU institutions cited by IPN.
The sources described the move as a routine procedural step in the accession process and said it could be resolved in the coming days.
“Let’s not dramatise the situation. This is a procedural step within the overall process, which can be overcome in the coming days,” the sources told IPN.
According to the same sources, the EU Council’s Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU (COELA) is expected to revisit the issue during a meeting scheduled for 26 June.
Reports had emerged suggesting that Budapest was continuing to withhold approval of the screening results for the relevant negotiation clusters. However, European officials stressed that such reservations are part of the EU’s internal procedures and do not amount to a suspension or blockage of the accession process.
The sources indicated that a solution could be reached following consultations among member states in the coming days.
The development comes as Moldova seeks to advance accession negotiations after the recent opening of the first negotiation cluster, “Fundamentals,” and amid repeated statements from EU leaders supporting the country’s European integration efforts.