Blitz interview with Interfax-Ukraine of Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos

Text: Dmytro Koshovyy

 

-- How was your first day in your new position in Kyiv?

-- I'm very happy that on my first day being Commissioner for Enlargement I visited Kiev, especially because enlargement is one of the priorities of the whole European Commission and it is also a priority for Ukraine, for your government, for your parliament and even for civil society which I met today.

Your country is doing immense progress. Making this amount of reforms in the time when the country is on war, it's something unprecedented and congratulations for this.

My task as Commissioner for Enlargement is to support your government to first start the negotiation process and then bring it to the end. This is tough work. It's a lot of technical work.It's a lot on both sides, in Brussels and also here.

We are now preparing everything possible, doing the screening and we hope that in some time in the first half of next year we will be able to open the first cluster which is fundamentals. This is the new methodology when we always start with the fundamentals and close with the fundamentals.

Today I've heard a wish that we could open as much as possible clusters next year. It's not only about opening, we have also to close it.

 

-- Are there any clusters that could be closed as early as next year?

-- No, this will take time but mostly it is up to a candidate country because it is a merit-based process. We will assist you, I will work day and night to help you to go through this process but most of the work is done on your side.

I am positively surprised how much energy I could feel with your president, Mr. Zelensky, with the president of the government. I met the vise-prime-minister, Olga Stefanichina, who is a partner for me. So, a huge amount of energy, a very positive attitude towards the EU accession. So, we will work hand in hand to enable Ukraine to become a member of the European Union.

Why is this so important? Enlargement today is different than it was five years back or when my country Slovenia was entering the EU in 2004. At that time mostly we have seen the accession process through the economic classes as an economic process.

Today, especially because of you being our candidate, it is about much more. It is about securing peace, freedom and prosperity. And these are actually the reasons why the European Union has been established. To secure peace, freedom and prosperity. And it is now in our hands to enable you joining us.

I feel a huge responsibility, but at the same time a huge honour that I am the commissioner who is doing this work.

 

-- On your opinion, when Ukraine becomes a member of the EU, it's maybe 5 years?

-- We don't know yet, because what I'm responsible for are the negotiations, and there are more than 30 chapters. Once we will come to the final line of the accession process, then all the member states have to give green light.

But you are on a very good way, because of Ukraine, we have a new dynamic, a positive dynamic in all the candidate countries.

 

-- Last question. As I understand, the next step is the opening of the first cluster? It's maybe January, February?

-- No, probably April, May. There is so much to do, and there is a decision-making process in the Council. So, even if we do everything possible, probably it won't be earlier than April next year.

But once we will start, then we will go on quickly.