Ukraine Passes Education Law to Unlock EU Talks

Ukraine’s parliament passed legislation on Monday, Oct. 12, expanding the educational rights of national minorities, fulfilling Hungary’s key condition for advancing two areas of Kyiv’s EU accession negotiations.

Bill No.16119 received 273 votes in its first reading and 266 votes in the final vote, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said.

Parliament immediately instructed Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk to sign the legislation and send it to President Volodymyr Zelensky for approval, with Zelensky signing the bill into law hours later on Monday.

The measure is intended to clear the way for opening Cluster 2, covering the EU internal market, and Cluster 3, covering competitiveness and inclusive growth.

Hungary had repeatedly blocked the two clusters, arguing that Ukraine had not sufficiently protected the education and language rights of its ethnic Hungarian minority.

What changes under the new law?

The legislation introduces a special status for general secondary schools serving national minorities.

Schools where more than half of students receive instruction in a minority language that is also an official EU language will be eligible for the status. Parliamentary estimates suggest that 149 schools, or approximately 1.2% of Ukraine’s secondary schools, could qualify.

Ukrainian remains the primary state language of education. The legislation more clearly defines how the languages of Indigenous peoples and national minorities may be used alongside Ukrainian. Its provisions apply only to languages that have official status in the EU and therefore do not extend to Russian.

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Parents of at least two-thirds of the students in a relevant class or group may request that additional subjects be taught in Ukrainian.

Schools containing at least one minority-language class will also be permitted to duplicate signs, education certificates requested by parents, and certain administrative documents in the relevant minority language.

Students who received their education in an Indigenous or minority language may obtain translated external assessment materials and complete the tests in that language, except for examinations covering language and literature.

EU decision expected within hours

Hungary agreed to stop blocking the clusters only after Ukraine adopted the education amendments, according to European Pravda, citing EU sources.

The EU’s Committee of Permanent Representatives, known as Coreper, is expected to consider the common negotiating positions for Ukraine and Moldova on Monday evening.

All 27 EU member states must agree before the clusters can formally open.

If the ambassadors approve the documents, intergovernmental conferences with Ukraine and Moldova could take place on Tuesday, Oct. 13, formally launching negotiations under the two clusters.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv expected that decision after meeting his Hungarian counterpart, Anita Orban, in Luxembourg.

The negotiating positions have reportedly been ready since Friday, Oct. 9, with adoption delayed until the Ukrainian parliament completed its vote.

Part of Kyiv-Budapest minority agreement

The legislation follows an agreement reached between Kyiv and the new Hungarian government on the language, cultural, and educational rights of the approximately 100,000 ethnic Hungarians living mainly in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region.

Budapest had previously linked progress in Ukraine’s EU accession process to the implementation of those commitments in Ukrainian law.

Hungary signaled earlier in October that it was prepared to ease its veto once parliament passed the minority education legislation.

The law’s adoption satisfies that condition, but the clusters will not be considered formally open until EU ambassadors approve the negotiating positions and the intergovernmental conference takes place.