Tried and tested: YEAs briefed by senior officials on Moldova and Ukraine’s EU membership journey

On 12 February, over 170 Young European Ambassadors, delegates, and members of the EUNEIGHBOURS EAST team, hailing from across the European Union and the Eastern Neighbourhood, convened virtually for discussions on EU Membership process for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

Joining the YEAs were the EU Ambassadors to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, Katarína Mathernová and Jānis Mažeiks, alongside the  Team Leader for Coordination of Association and Enlargement processes at European Commission, DG NEAR, Michael A. Rupp.

Jānis Mažeiks discussed the journey towards EU Membership for the Republic of Moldova, stressing that support from young people was key to ensuring “irreversible” progress along this path. The Ambassador said the role of the YEAs was critical in this endeavour, considering the geopolitical context facing the Black Sea region today.

Ambassador Katarína Mathernová highlighted Ukraine’s “unwavering desire” to become part of the European Union, recalling that Ukraine had submitted its application four days after the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Though optimistic in part due to Ukraine’s digital capabilities, Ambassador Mathernová said now was the time when Ukraine’s journey towards EU Membership would transition from a “sprint to a long-distance marathon”.

Michael A. Rupp reassured participants that the methodology for the EU accession process was “tried and tested”. He said that Ukraine and Moldova must continue to be proactive in their reforms with great focus on alignment with the EU acquis.

The YEAs came prepared with questions, most notably, whether Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova could afford EU Membership. Rupp replied that EU membership was a concept from which all stakeholders could benefit and there was no one entity in the European Union with any interest in seeing these countries struggle.

When asked how YEAs and their peers could lend support, Rupp advised them to get involved in their country to be part of its future, and galvanising community support around EU Membership and its tangible benefits. “The European Union is a success story,” concluded Rupp.