Op-Ed: “The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement as a Stepping-stone towards EU Membership?” by Peter Van Elsuwege and Guillaume Van der Loo

This contribution is part of the EU Law Live Symposium on the Accession of Ukraine to the European Union. More Op-Eds will be published soon on EU Law Live.

The Ukrainian application for EU membership, formally submitted on 28 February 2022, has triggered various reactions. Eight Central and Eastern European Member States quickly expressed their support in an open letter and called for an immediate recognition of Ukraine’s candidate status and the opening of accession negotiations. Other members, including Germany, France and the Benelux countries, are more reluctant, having concerns about Ukraine’s readiness and eligibility for the pre-accession process, the EU’s absorption capacity, and the long-ter