Flags of European Union member states fly in front of the Konrad Adenauer building of the European Parliament in Luxembourg. The EU on Tuesday formally opened membership negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. “For our nation, the European Union signifies much more than a physical space,” he said. Arduous journeyThe journey to EU membership is arduous for candidate countries, as they must reform to meet EU standards on a wide range of issues, from fighting corruption through regulating agriculture to harmonising customs rules. Ukraine and Moldova will have to navigate not just technical and legal obstacles to membership but also political hurdles.
