Some member states of the European Union, in particular Germany, express the need for a long period of verification of Ukrainian reforms before the country's final accession to the bloc. This was reported in an interview with RBC-Ukraine by Vice Prime Minister for EU and NATO Accession Taras Kachka.
According to him, European partners insist on the need to make sure that the changes are irreversible, which can drag out the process for decades. Kachka explained that such a position is due to the issue of trust in how the implemented reforms will work in practice.
"Countries like Germany say: this is a super important story for us, we need trust. Therefore, you will make reforms, and we need a conditional 20 years for you to "stand your ground" so that we can make sure that everything works. This is not because we do not want to accept you, we simply need trust," the Vice Prime Minister noted.
He added that a similar approach had already been applied to the Balkan countries, where the methodology provided for a long confirmation of the effectiveness of new laws. As an alternative to a long wait, Kachka suggested recalling the experience of Romania and Bulgaria, for which a special control and verification mechanism (CVM) was created at one time. This tool allowed the European Commission to monitor the implementation of obligations even after the countries became EU members and, if necessary, limit their rights. In the modern context, this is called "safeguards".
The Vice Prime Minister emphasized that for Ukraine, the prospect of waiting 10 or 20 years is unacceptable, since in conditions of war and the need for rapid integration, this term is perceived as "eternity".
"Maybe I'm exaggerating about 20 years, let's say 10 years, but for us it's an eternity. And that's why this mechanism of safeguards and CVM is a completely normal story. However, it was not discussed in detail. That's why the media often oversimplify the situation," Taras Kachka summarized.
According to the government official, the use of post-control mechanisms could be a compromise that would allow Ukraine to become a member of the union faster, while providing European countries with the necessary guarantees of the stability of Ukrainian institutions.
Recall that Kallas previously stated that the European Union countries were not yet ready to name the date of Ukraine's accession.
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