Ukraine and Moldova Open First EU Accession Cluster at Luxembourg IGC

In an Intergovernmental Conference held in Luxembourg on the evening of June 15, 2026, Ukraine — followed immediately by Moldova — formally opened Cluster 1 ('Fundamentals') of EU accession negotiations, covering Chapter 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights), Chapter 24 (justice, freedom and security), Chapter 5 (public procurement), Chapter 18 (statistics), and Chapter 32 (financial control). The move followed the June 12 decision by EU ambassadors (Coreper) to formally greenlight the opening after Hungary's new Magyar government lifted its two-year veto in early June. The opening of Cluster 1 — the backbone chapters opened first and closed last in the accession process — marks the most consequential step yet in Ukraine's and Moldova's EU integration since candidate status was granted in 2022. The blockage had previously been maintained by Viktor Orbán's government, defeated in Hungary's April 2026 election.