The 27 EU member states have agreed to open a new phase of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, with ambassadors endorsing a further negotiating cluster in a bid to keep momentum toward membership.

The decision follows a period in which Hungary had blocked progress for roughly two years, after objections related to how Ukraine’s Hungarian minority is protected. That obstruction was later lifted after a Hungary–Ukraine agreement on minority-rights arrangements, paving the way for additional clusters to be unblocked.

Under the EU accession framework, candidate countries negotiate in clusters that group multiple policy areas. On Friday, ambassadors backed the unblockment of cluster six, which covers external relations, and confirmed that formal ceremonies would occur separately in Brussels on 14 July.

While both countries are considered technically ready to advance, the pace of opening remaining clusters is ultimately driven by political agreement among EU members. The move means more clusters still remain pending after this latest step, with negotiations expected to be handled one cluster at a time going forward.