According to a report on the progress made by EU candidate states published on October 30, the European Commission has criticised the telethon – Ukraine’s pool of state-run TV channels created during conflict – and urged Kyiv restore a “pluralistic” media landscape.
The “telethon”, branded as “Yedyni Novyny”, (“United News”) was launched at the start of Russia’s full scale invasion in February 2022. It was created through the merging of coverage from Ukraine’s largest TV channels.
The telethon, initially viewed as a legitimate reaction to Russia’s aggression was later accused of monopolizing TV coverage and stifling dissension. Some opposition television stations have complained about being excluded from the telethon because of their political stance.
Brussels is expecting Ukraine to restore all broadcasters’ work in the format of the pre-war period, and questions the telethons’ objectivity. The European Commission has criticised the fact that the telethon is funded by the state budget.
The European Commission commented on Rada TV, stating that media should cover all of the work of the parliament, including opposition.
Despite concerns over the functioning of the Ukrainian media, the European Commission has said that it is prepared to open the first clusters of negotiations, starting with the fundamentals, with Ukraine by 2025.
The statement stated that “the opening of accession talks with Ukraine has been a significant recognition of Ukraine’s commitment to reforms on the road to European Union membership.”
“Following June 2024’s first intergovernmental conference, the analytical examination (the screening) of the acquis is progressing smoothly.”
In June 2022, Ukraine was granted EU candidate status. The European Commission recommended that accession talks begin with Ukraine and Moldova by November 2023. The European Council then approved the recommendation a month later.
The commission then presented a framework for negotiations.
The first intergovernmental meeting on Ukraine’s entry was held in Luxembourg, in June. This marked the official start of the accession negotiations between Ukraine and the European Union.
Ukraine’s entry to the EU is still years away. Katarina Maternova, EU ambassador to Ukraine, stated that Kyiv may join the EU in 2030.
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