BRUSSELS, Nov 8 - Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia received positive news on Wednesday about their quests to join the European Union, but countries in the volatile Balkans region that have waited years longer to become members of the world’s biggest trading bloc appeared to slip back in the queue.

In a series of reports on countries wanting to join the bloc’s ranks, the EU’s executive branch recommended that war-ravaged Ukraine should be permitted to open membership talks, once it’s addressed some shortfalls, The Associated Press reported.

The European Commission lauded Ukraine, where Russian troops launched a full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, saying that the government “has shown a remarkable level of institutional strength, determination and ability to function.” But it said that talks should only start once it has addressed corruption, lobbying concerns, and restrictions that might prevent national minorities from studying and reading in their own language.

“Moldova is the subject of constant destabilization efforts against its democracy,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “But like Ukraine, Moldova has undertaken significant reform efforts,” she said, signalling that talks should move forward once justice and anti-corruption conditions are met.

The commission’s proposals, outlined in annual progress reports, mostly provide technical guidance to the 27 EU member states on how much progress countries have made in aligning their laws and standards with those of the bloc.

EU leaders are expected to decide whether to endorse those recommendations at a summit in Brussels on Dec. 14-15. There is no guarantee that they will agree unanimously to do so. Hungary and Slovakia are notably cool about Ukraine’s aspirations, for example.

Still, Russia’s war in Ukraine has spurred the EU to open up its doors to new members, perhaps as soon as 2030, and countries mired in or emerging from conflict are keen to join.

Last month, a senior EU official said that some Balkans countries “continue to see themselves as the center of our attention, and refuse to accept or admit that actually it’s Ukraine.” The senior official requested anonymity to speak frankly about the politically sensitive issue.

He said the consensus among many EU officials working with Ukraine is that Kyiv “is demonstrating everything that we are missing in the Balkans: energy, commitment, enthusiasm.” He said the commission’s enlargement reports would be “the objective indicator of the situation.” (ap/ez)