Ukraine and the European Commission coordinate practical cooperation to accelerate EU integration

On August 10, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Vsevolod Chentsov, held an online meeting with Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG ENEST).

The parties discussed the further dynamics of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations and practical steps to accelerate the process. Special attention was given to work on interim benchmarks within Cluster 1 “Fundamentals of the EU accession process” and preparations for the Interim Benchmark Assessment Report (IBAR). They agreed to reinforce coordination to ensure clear planning of necessary steps and dynamic progress toward the next negotiation stages.

Vsevolod Chentsov emphasized that Ukraine is determined to maintain a high pace of work and make the most efficient use of time to advance the negotiation process. This requires combining ambitious goals with clear planning of concrete steps, ensuring proper coordination between the Government and Parliament, and enhancing operational interaction with the European Commission. The parties agreed to continue detailed joint work on fulfilling the relevant tasks.

They also highlighted the importance of promoting practical solutions in parallel with the formal negotiation process, which can already deliver benefits to Ukrainian citizens and businesses. These include further integration into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the EU internal energy market, and the internal market for industrial goods.

Additionally, the interlocutors discussed opportunities to strengthen technical cooperation between Ukrainian institutions and the European Commission in the context of using new digital tools — including artificial intelligence — to implement Ukraine’s National Programme for the Adaptation of Legislation to EU law, aligned with the negotiation schedule.