Ukraine and Moldova can hope for a quick start to EU accession negotiations, the Belgian EU Council presidency said following a ministerial meeting in Brussels on Tuesday evening.
The presidency made it clear that it is working towards organizing a first conference of negotiating delegations by the end of June. Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council from Belgium in July.
"We are doing our utmost to reach an agreement that will enable us to move on the next stage," explained Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib. It is possible that negotiations will start within the next 40 days.
Before the accession talks can start, the EU states still have to unanimously approve so-called negotiating frameworks. These set out guidelines and principles for the accession talks with each candidate country.
The start of negotiations with Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, and its smaller neighbour Moldova had already been agreed in principle at an EU summit in December.
At the same time, however, it was agreed that all reform requirements must be met before negotiations could begin.
According to the last written Commission report, for example, some reforms in the fight against corruption, the protection of minorities and the influence of oligarchs had not been fully implemented in Ukraine.
Lahbib did not explicitly comment on Tuesday evening on whether there were still shortcomings, merely stating that Ukraine and Moldova were continuing their reform processes.
The opening of EU accession negotiations is seen as an important symbol for the people of Ukraine and Moldova, though the accession process can at times take decades.
Turkey, for example, became an EU candidate in 1999 - and has probably never been further away from membership than it is today.
Being a member country does not guarantee reaching member status.
It is currently considered impossible for Ukraine to become an EU member before the end of its war with Russia. This is because Kiev could then call for military assistance under Article 42, paragraph 7 of the EU Treaty and the EU would become a party to the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently made it clear that he nevertheless hopes for a decision in favour of accession negotiations before the end of June.
