Key facts
- Task force to accelerate rule of law and anti-corruption reforms.
- Regular meetings between Ukrainian and European Commission officials planned.
- Interim benchmarks are key to Ukraine's EU membership progress.
Ukraine and the European Union have launched a new joint task force composed of Ukrainian and EU officials to drive progress on key rule-of-law reforms. The initiative was announced by EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos on October 16, 2026. The task force will involve regular meetings between Ukrainian and European Commission officials to pragmatically work through reforms. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the goal is to obtain a positive assessment as soon as possible. These reforms are linked to "interim benchmarks" that will be crucial for Ukraine's EU membership aspirations after all six negotiating clusters are opened, which is expected by the end of 2026.