The Council of Europe, chaired by France, will meet this Thursday (23rd) to decide on Ukraine’s candidacy for the European Union. Bloc leaders will also discuss the effects of the war on food security around the world. We will talk about these issues with Leticia Fonseca-Sourander, our correspondent in Brussels.
The Council of Europe, chaired by France, will meet this Thursday (23rd) to decide on Ukraine’s candidacy for the European Union. Bloc leaders will also discuss the effects of the war on food security around the world. We will talk about these issues with Leticia Fonseca-Sourander, our correspondent in Brussels.
Leticia Fonseca-Sourander, correspondent RFI in Brussels
The European Union is opening its doors to a country at war for the first time. After the green light from leaders to be announced at this European Council in Brussels, Ukraine still has a long way to go before it can join the bloc. By the end of the year, Kiev will have to implement a series of reforms and measures to combat corruption, money laundering and freedom of the press.
“We know that Ukrainians are ready to die for a European perspective,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recommended Ukraine’s candidacy last week. said. Despite the approval of the European Commission, much work remains to be done by the Kyiv government, such as the modernization of public administration and the recognition of the fundamental rights of minorities.
According to the European executive, Ukraine has been slowly approaching the bloc in recent years, adopting around 70% of EU rules, norms and standards thanks to the Association Agreement signed in 2016. With a population of 41 million and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of less than 4,000 Euros, Ukraine is the second poorest country in Europe after Moldova.
Since the invasion of Russia on February 24, the country’s tax revenues have fallen by more than 80% and GDP has been cut in half. According to IMF estimates, Ukraine needs $5 billion in financial aid every month just to keep the state afloat.
The joining process can take years
In previous processes, none of the candidate countries were ready to join the European Union on the day they started negotiations. In fact, the process is quite long and consists of several steps.
The European Union has to negotiate in a number of different, complex and highly technical policy areas. If Brussels wants to include Ukraine, it may decide to slow down or speed up the negotiations to some extent. For example, in the accession negotiations with Turkey and the Balkan countries, the protocol has been going on for many years.
Another important point is that negotiations can be frozen in case of a political reaction. In an interview with the channel Euronews“The question is whether the European Union will have enough influence to ensure that Ukraine is institutionally sound and fully democratic as soon as it is ready to join the European bloc,” said Richard Youngs of the bloc’s enlargement think tank Carnegie Europe. “The fact that Ukraine is not ready at this time is not a reason not to start the accession process and try to ensure that this protocol is implemented as soon as possible.” said.
This Thursday’s European Council will also discuss the participation of Moldova and Georgia. Leaders from Serbia, Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia are also in Brussels to further the region’s integration with the EU.
War in Ukraine causes world hunger
On the agenda of European leaders are the latest developments regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including its implications for the global food security crisis. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned of the devastating effects of war.
Ukraine is the world’s main supplier of grain, and the conflict could bring millions of people on the African continent closer to famine. The Russian occupation also increased worldwide prices for grain, cooking oil, fuel, and fertilizer.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Moscow alone was responsible for Africa’s grain and grain shortages and that the continent was “hostage” to a war launched by Vladimir Putin.
source: Noticias
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