Brussels announces another 3.3 billion destined for military material for Ukraine and demands more international support

As of September 2026, the process of Ukraine's accession to the European Union is already in the formal accession negotiations phase, with several groups (“clusters”) of chapters opened, but still far from the final phase of closing chapters and signing the Accession Treaty. In European “parliamentary” terms, the European Parliament is in a phase of political monitoring and support of the process, not yet in the final consent phase for entry.

Current phase of the process

After Ukraine was granted candidate country status and the opening of negotiations was decided, the recent major leap has been the effective start of the negotiation chapters. On June 15, 2026, the so-called Group 1 (“Foundations”) was opened, which includes the core chapters on the rule of law, fundamental rights, functioning of democratic institutions, public administration reform, and economic criteria. This group opens first and will close last because it concentrates the core conditions of the process, as recalled by the European Council in its October 2025 conclusions (European Council note).

Shortly after, on July 14, 2026, the EU and Ukraine reached “another milestone” by opening Group 6 on “external relations”, which includes chapters 30 (external relations) and 31 (foreign, security and defense policy), according to the Irish Presidency of the Council (Council statement). With this, Ukraine has already started two major clusters within the total 33 chapters.

Specialized press summarizes the situation as follows: with the opening of the fundamental chapters in June and, a month later, the external relations cluster, Ukraine and Moldova have already started seven of the 33 chapters, with the groups on internal market (2), competitiveness and inclusive growth (3), green agenda and sustainable connectivity (4), and resources, agriculture and cohesion (5) still to be opened (Demócrata).

Role of the European Parliament

In strictly European parliamentary terms, the European Parliament is not yet voting on the Accession Treaty (that will come at the end of the process), but exercises a function of political oversight and guidance:

• In July 2026, Parliament “welcomed” the opening of the first fundamental negotiation group in June 2026 and called for progress with the following groups as soon as possible (EP resolution).
• In that same resolution, MEPs praised judicial and anti-corruption reforms but insisted that the fight against corruption and strengthening of the rule of law remain key conditions to continue advancing in accession.
• In various debates and “press kits” prior to European Councils, Parliament has reiterated that Ukraine’s integration will be a central task of the legislature, combined with long-term financial and military support (dossier for the June 2026 European Council).

Therefore, from a “parliamentary phase” perspective, the EP is in the stage of enlargement reports and monitoring resolutions, not in the ratification phase.

Next planned steps

In the short and medium term, the following institutional steps are expected:

• European Commission: will continue issuing its annual enlargement packages evaluating Ukraine’s progress on political, economic criteria and adoption of the acquis. Already in 2025 it highlighted “significant progress” despite the war, but pointed out key pending issues such as a fully robust anti-corruption framework (2025 enlargement report).
• Council (Member States): at Intergovernmental Conferences it must open clusters 2, 3, 4 and 5 when it considers Ukraine meets the technical conditions, and later set benchmarks for the provisional closure of already opened chapters. The European Council has emphasized that the entire process is “merit-based”, meaning the pace will largely depend on the speed of reforms in Kyiv.
• European Parliament: will continue approving monitoring resolutions on Ukraine, linked both to the state of reforms and to financial and security support. Only at the end of the process, when an Accession Treaty between Member States and Ukraine has been agreed, will Parliament have to give its binding consent before the treaty goes to ratification by national parliaments.

In parallel, the EU maintains strong financial and security support to Ukraine (for example, the €90 billion loan approved in 2026 for budget support and defense capabilities, according to the European Parliament itself), which is conceived as part of the same path towards full integration. Politically, EU leaders, including the President of the European Council, António Costa, have indicated that advancing enlargement in the coming months is “especially urgent” to anchor future peace and continental stability (January 2026 speech).

In summary, Ukraine has already passed the preliminary phase of mere candidate status and is in full accession negotiations phase, with several chapters opened and a very marked emphasis on rule of law and anti-corruption reforms. The decisive parliamentary stage — the vote on the Accession Treaty — will come only when, after years of reforms and technical negotiation, the Council and Commission consider the country ready to fully integrate into the Union.

The President of the European Commission is the highest political leader of the Union's executive body. Her powers and functions are mainly defined in Article 17 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and, to a lesser extent, in provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) and associated protocols. Below is a summary of her essential powers according to the treaties.

1. Political leadership of the Commission

The TEU establishes that the Commission acts under the leadership of its President. This implies:

• Setting the general political guidelines of the Commission, that is, the major priorities and lines of work for the entire mandate (e.g., climate, digitalization, industrial policy, migration).
• Defining the annual work programme of the Commission, marking which legislative and non-legislative initiatives will be presented, in what timeframes and with what approach.
• Ensuring coherence, effectiveness and collegiality of the Commission's action, coordinating the work of the different Commissioners and resolving conflicts of competence among them.

2. Internal organization and appointment of the Commission

Article 17 TEU grants the President a central role in the composition and functioning of the College of Commissioners:

• Selection and distribution of portfolios: proposes to the Council and Parliament the allocation of portfolios to Commissioners designated by Member States, decides which policy areas each one handles and who holds the Vice-Presidencies.
• Reorganization of competences: can reassign portfolios among Commissioners during the mandate to adapt to political changes or resolve dysfunctions.
• Requesting the resignation of a Commissioner: can ask a Commissioner to resign if she considers that they no longer meet the conditions or do not respect their obligations (art. 17.6 TEU). Formally, the resignation is individual but driven by the President.
• Establishing internal rules of procedure: leads the drafting and application of the Commission's internal rules of procedure, which determine how decisions are adopted, how proposals are prepared, and how work is coordinated among Directorates-General.
• Representation and political discipline: the President is responsible for ensuring that Commissioners act independently and in the general interest of the Union, not as representatives of their Member State, as required by the treaties.

3. Legislative function and normative initiative

Although the legislative initiative corresponds to the Commission as a whole, the President guides and controls its use:

• Prioritizing and launching legislative proposals on behalf of the Commission, in line with its political guidelines and adopted work programme.
• Deciding which proposals are finally submitted to the European Parliament and the Council, after internal preparation procedures (consultations, impact assessments, etc.).
• Coordinating legislative response to crises or unforeseen events, promoting urgent measures or revisions of existing legislation.

Each year, the President also delivers the State of the Union Address before the European Parliament, presenting the year's review and the Commission's future legislative and political priorities.

4. External representation of the Union

Article 17 TEU provides that the Commission guarantees the external representation of the Union in areas of its competence, “except for the common foreign and security policy,” where the main role lies with the President of the European Council and the High Representative. Within this framework, the President:

• Represents the Union in matters within the Commission's competence, such as trade, competition policy, economic and regulatory aspects of the internal market, climate policy, etc.
• Participates in international summits (G7, G20, climate conferences, meetings with third countries) as head of the European executive in those areas.
• Coordinates with the President of the European Council and the High Representative the EU's positions, to ensure a coherent message between the executive, intergovernmental, and diplomatic dimensions.

5. Relationship with the European Parliament and political responsibility

The President of the Commission is elected by the European Parliament, on a proposal from the European Council, taking into account the outcome of the European elections (art. 17.7 TEU). From this derive several functions:

• Account periodically to Parliament, answering questions and participating in plenary debates.
• Defend the College of Commissioners in investiture procedures and potential political crises, since the Commission as a whole is responsible to Parliament.
• Manage interinstitutional relations with Parliament and Council, promoting interinstitutional agreements on legislative planning and political coordination.

6. Guarantee of the general interest of the Union

In summary, the treaties configure the President as guarantor of the general interest of the Union within the Commission. She must:

• Ensure that all Commission initiatives respect the treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
• Ensure uniform application of EU law, supervising the use of the Commission's monitoring and infringement powers against Member States.
• Maintain institutional balance with Parliament, Council, Court of Justice, and other Union bodies.

The new EU funding tranches to Ukraine are subject to strict conditionality, both under the Ukraine Mechanism 2024‑2027 (up to €50 billion in grants and loans) and under the new €90 billion support loan for 2026‑2027. In both cases, disbursements are not automatic: they depend on Kyiv fulfilling previously agreed reforms and maintaining minimum standards in democracy, rule of law, and sound financial management.

Ukraine Mechanism 2024‑2027: Ukraine Plan and conditioned tranches

The legal core of the conditionality is the Ukraine Plan, positively evaluated by the Commission in April 2024 and approved by the Council in May 2024. This plan:

• Defines a reform and investment strategy for four years.
• Includes 69 reforms and 10 investments, broken down into 146 qualitative and quantitative indicators.
• Covers 15 areas: energy, agriculture, transport, green and digital transition, human capital, public enterprises, business environment, public finances, and decentralization, among others.

Periodic payments (usually quarterly) under the Mechanism are made only when:

• Ukraine submits a motivated payment request corresponding to a tranche.
• The Commission verifies that the associated reform and investment indicators for that tranche, as set out in the Council Implementing Decision, have been met.
• The Commission proposes and the Council adopts an implementing decision declaring those conditions fulfilled.

Concrete examples of conditionality already applied:

• For the first regular payment of about €4.2 billion, the Commission confirmed compliance with nine indicators related to public finance management, governance of state-owned enterprises, business environment, energy, and demining.
• For a second payment of about €4.1 billion, the Council highlighted reforms in anti-corruption and anti-money laundering, reforms of the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, business environment improvements, and progress in energy, ecological transition, and environmental protection.
• Even the exceptional “bridge” financing of €1.5 billion was conditioned on steps in judicial reform, anti-money laundering, public finance management, business environment, and agriculture, as well as reporting obligations to ensure transparent use.

Rule of law, governance, and anti-corruption requirements

Beyond technical indicators, there is a general precondition for all Mechanism aid: Ukraine must continue respecting effective democratic mechanisms. The Plan's architecture emphasizes:

• Improvement of governance and administrative capacity.
• Strengthening accountability and integrity of the judiciary.
• Reinforcement of the anti-corruption and fraud framework.
• Progressive alignment with the EU acquis (public administration, public procurement, anti-money laundering, transport, agri-food, etc.).

To protect the Union's financial interests, the Plan establishes:

• A robust framework of transparency, audit, and control.
• The obligation for Ukraine to strengthen its national control and audit systems.
• The creation of an independent Audit Board, which helps prevent mismanagement, fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, and irregularities.

€90 billion support loan (2026‑2027)

The new €90 billion loan approved through enhanced cooperation also incorporates strong conditionality:

• The macroeconomic assistance part (about €30 billion) is conditioned on fulfilling reforms set out in a Memorandum of Understanding, focused on:
  • Revenue mobilization (tax reform, broadening the tax base).
  • Anti-corruption and strengthening anti-corruption bodies.
  • Fiscal transparency and responsible budget management.
• The defense industrial capabilities pillar is subject to specific control mechanisms, with a separate account and Commission supervision.
• Ukraine must submit each year a Financing Strategy detailing needs and income sources, which serves as a basis for planning the tranches.
• Continuous respect for democratic principles, rule of law, and human rights, including minority rights, is required.

The loan's design limits the burden on Ukraine: principal repayment is linked to future reparations or compensation from Russia, and the EU can subsidize interest and administrative costs. But effective access to tranches remains conditioned on the agreed macroeconomic, governance, and anti-corruption reforms.

In sum, to receive new disbursements, the key is not only Ukraine's military or budgetary situation but its verifiable progress in structural reforms, rule of law, and anti-corruption, monitored by the Commission and validated by the Council at each tranche.