EU already discussing fast-tracking Ukraine's accession procedures – top Ukrainian official

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna believes that Ukraine's European partners are willing to give Ukraine special treatment in its EU membership negotiations.

As reported by European Pravda’s correspondent, the deputy prime minister, who is responsible for Ukraine's European integration and heads Ukraine's negotiating team, said at the Accession Exchange Forum conference in Kyiv that mechanisms to accelerate integration are already being discussed at meetings with European partners.

She mentioned that two questions are raised at every meeting: whether Ukraine accepts the full scope of EU law, and whether Ukraine needs the integration procedures to be accelerated.

Stefanishyna noted that the question of candidate states’ readiness to implement the entire scope of the acquis (EU legislation) is standard in negotiations, as the EU needs to ensure this, to understand where transition periods may be needed, etc.

Stefanishyna explained that the idea of fast-tracked integration is something new, and while Ukraine did initiate these discussions at one point, the EU is now asking Ukraine about it. Stefanishyna also stressed that she perceives this as readiness on the part of the EU to adapt these procedures, since the first steps to accelerate them are already underway.

In particular, the EU is ready to relax its rules on going through each stage on the way to membership consecutively.

Stefanishyna explained that unlike the standard approach, Ukraine is doing everything simultaneously.

At the conference, Stefanishyna made a bet with a journalist about the date of Ukraine's accession to the EU.

The EU Ambassador to Ukraine has predicted that Ukraine could join the EU by 2030.