EU Opens New Accession Clusters After Ukraine Minority Law

European Union member states unanimously agreed on October 12 to open negotiation clusters covering the internal market and competitiveness for Ukraine and Moldova. The decision follows the passage of a minority rights law by the Verkhovna Rada, which was subsequently signed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The legislation expands the use of minority languages in schools and cultural events, specifically granting special status to secondary schools using official EU languages, though it excludes the Russian language.

This legislative move resolves a long-standing dispute with Hungary regarding the rights of approximately 100,000 ethnic Hungarians in the Transcarpathia region. Since 2023, the Hungarian government had blocked Ukraine's EU accession progress over these concerns. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who took office in May, welcomed the law as a good sign that facilitates the native language use of Hungarian children in Transcarpathia.

Ireland, currently holding the EU Council presidency, announced the agreement, which also includes closing specific negotiation chapters for Montenegro and Albania. The breakthrough ends months of delays caused by Hungarian vetoes. Diplomats now expect a bilateral meeting between Magyar and Zelenskyy at the European Council summit in Brussels this Thursday to further restore trust between the two nations.