Strategic session held to prepare Ukrainian negotiators for the opening of negotiations on EU accession clusters

On 29 August, a high-level strategic session for Ukraine’s EU accession negotiating team was held in Kyiv at the initiative of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. Over 60 participants attended, including government representatives, heads of negotiating working groups, MPs, officials from the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office and the Government Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, and international partners.

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Chief Negotiator Taras Kachka opened the event and joined discussions with deputy ministers, negotiators for specific chapters, and international advisors.

Deputy Head of Mission at the Swedish Embassy in Ukraine and High-Level Advisory Group (HLAG NB8) Coordinator Elsa Håstad spoke at the opening, commending Ukraine’s progress and stressing the importance of further reforms to advance EU membership.

The session focused on the outcomes of screenings for five negotiating Clusters, preparations for opening Cluster talks, and priority steps in accession negotiations, including work on the National Programme for Aligning Ukrainian Legislation with EU Law.

“The EU represents comprehensive support for Ukraine: financial aid, reform assistance, and the accession process itself – the largest project and strategic goal. It sounds simple, but few grasp the immense work each of you contributes,” Taras Kachka told participants.

He emphasised the goal of opening as many negotiating Clusters as possible this year: “Ukraine is ready to start talks on three Clusters and is working to complete screenings and open negotiations on as many as possible.”

Particular attention was given to aligning the EU accession process with domestic reforms and sectoral initiatives that bring Ukraine closer to the EU.

“Our task is to ensure the scope of required transformations is predictable and planned. Every step must be clear and agreed with all stakeholders,” Taras Kachka stressed.

He highlighted that consultations with Ukrainian stakeholders – businesses, unions, teachers, and communities – are vital to ensure societal support for EU integration. “Negotiations are not just with European institutions but also a dialogue within Ukraine. Everyone must understand what we’re doing and why,” he noted.

During the opening, Director General of the Government Office for Coordination on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Oleksandr Ilkov presented the current state of negotiations, tools for implementing Ukraine’s EU commitments, progress on three Roadmaps, and the development of the National Programme for Legislative Alignment. Strategic Advisor and former Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Gender Equality Lykke Friis outlined Denmark’s EU Council Presidency priorities, including support for Ukraine’s EU accession.

The discussion included former EU Commissioner for Energy and Development and NB8 Advisory Group member Andris Piebalgs, former Estonian Permanent Representative to the EU and OECD and Estonia’s chief EU negotiator Alar Streimann, and former North Macedonian Deputy Chief Negotiator and Ukraine2EU expert Drita Abdiu-Halili.

The event was organised in collaboration with the High-Level Advisory Group of eight northern European and Baltic countries (NB8).