Commission recommends confirming EU candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova and imposes conditions on Georgia

The European Commission has recommended today that Ukraine and Moldova be granted candidate status for the EU membership, marking the first formal step in the membership process. At the same time, the Commission declared that another candidate, Georgia, should only be granted a candidate status once certain conditions are addressed. The three countries applied for membership following concerns about Russia’s threats in the region. 

The three Opinions adopted by the Commission are largely based on the assessment of the membership criteria agreed by the European Council: (i) political criteria, (ii) economic criteria, and (iii) the ability of the country to assume the obligations of EU membership (EU acquis). 

The Opinion on