Speaking at a joint news conference with European Council President Antonio Costa and Moldova’s President Maia Sandu, von der Leyen said the next phase puts responsibility squarely on each country.
“After the opening of the first cluster, each candidate country is responsible for itself, because they must meet commitments on reforms, and those reforms are different for different candidate countries,” she said.
Von der Leyen said progress will be judged solely on results, providing clear benchmarks for the reforms needed and allowing the EU to meet its own commitments in response.
Costa said the approach does not mean the process will slow down; the pace of progress will depend on how quickly reforms are implemented. He said Moldova has shown strong momentum in meeting its commitments.
At the same time, the European Council president stressed that the current geopolitical context requires all parties to move faster and with greater determination, while maintaining accession standards.
“Both candidate countries and member states must understand and feel the urgency of meeting commitments,” he said.
“That does not mean forgetting the criteria. It means everyone must work harder and faster to meet the criteria and move forward as quickly as possible.”
All EU member states agreed on June 15 to open the first negotiation cluster for Ukraine and Moldova.
Ukraine and Moldova were granted official candidate status
in June 2022. In January 2025, the European Commission recommended starting
formal talks to align both countries’ laws with EU standards.