European Commission to give positive verbal assessment of Ukraine's European integration reforms – Financial Times

Diplomatic sources have confirmed that the European Commission will provide an overall positive verbal assessment of Ukraine's implementation of the recommendations outlined in the November enlargement report on Friday.

Three Financial Times's sources familiar with the matter stated that the European Commission will announce on Friday that Ukraine has met the necessary criteria in certain areas, including anti-corruption efforts, political lobbying control, transparency of officials' assets and minority rights protection, and will recommend starting EU accession talks with Ukraine. 

Hungary is expected to express disagreement, continuing to argue that the rights of the Hungarian minority are being violated. 

Prior to this, Rikard Jozwiak, Radio Svoboda’s Europe editor, also reported that the verbal assessment for Ukraine and Moldova is expected to be positive.

Hungary blocked the approval of a draft negotiation framework on Ukraine's accession to the European Union over the issue of minority rights at a meeting of EU ambassadors on 29 May.

The EU and Ukraine hope to officially start talks by the end of June, as Hungary takes over the EU Council Presidency on 1 July. 

According to sources, Brussels officials have insisted on starting official talks on Ukraine's accession to the European Union on 25  June.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs for Belgium, which currently holds the EU presidency, confirmed intentions to organise an intergovernmental conference with Ukraine, which is effectively the beginning of negotiations, before the end of the Belgian presidency.