Hungary blocks EU progress on two more accession clusters for Ukraine

Hungary again refused to approve the screening results for Ukraine’s clusters 2 and 3 at the first meeting of the Council of the EU’s Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU (COELA) after the summer break, the news outlet European Pravda reported, citing sources in Brussels.

Hungary prevented the EU Council from proceeding with the opening of clusters 2 and 3 for Ukraine.

“Everything remains unchanged,” one of the European Pravda sources commented.

The source added that, in July 2026, before the summer break, Hungary agreed to approve only the screening results for cluster 3 for Moldova.

This option, which would effectively separate Ukraine and Moldova on their paths to the EU, is not supported by the majority of EU member states, led by Ireland, which currently holds the Council presidency.

The next COELA meeting is scheduled for 2 September 2026, but Ukraine and Moldova are not on the agenda.

ZMINA also reported that the previous attempt to approve the screening results in July 2026 failed due to Hungary’s position, as Budapest was prepared to give the green light only to progress on cluster 3 and only for Moldova.

Read more: Ukrainian, Hungarian ombudsmen agree on reciprocal visits to monitor minority rights

The sixth negotiating cluster, External Relations, was opened for Ukraine in Brussels on 14 July. Taras Kachka, then Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said the opening of the remaining four clusters would not be postponed until after the summer.

Hungary had previously blocked the opening of clusters 2-6 for Ukraine at the technical level, but later agreed to lift its veto on cluster 6.

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