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Following the introduction of the revised methodology for
Clusters of the accession negotiations in February 2020, negotiating
chapters are now divided in six thematic clusters:
negotiating chapters 1 Fundamentals 4 Green agenda & sustainable

2 Internal market connectivity
Resources, agriculture & cohesion
3 Competitiveness & 5
inclusive growth 6 External relations

Foreign, Economic criteria
security Functioning of
& defence Judiciary & democratic institutions
External policy fundamental Justice,
Financial & relations rights Freedom & Public
budgetary Security administration
Regional policy provisions Public reform
& coordination procurement
of structural Statistics
instruments 31 23
30 24
Fisheries 33 5 Financial
control
Food safety, 22 18
veterinary & External Free movement
phytosanitary 13 relations 32 of goods
policy
agriculture &
Agriculture 12 Fundamentals 1 Free movement
& rural Resources, for workers
development 11 cohesion 2 Right of
Enviroment Opened first establishment
& climate 27 and closed 3 & freedom to
change last provide services
Trans - 21 Green agenda & sustainable 4 Free
European connectivity Internal Market movement
networks 15 6 of capital
Energy 14 Competitiveness & 7 Company
law
Transport inclusive growth
policy 29 8 Intellectual
property law
Customs 26 9
union Competition
25 28 policy
Education 20 10
& culture 19 17 16 Financial
services
Science & Consumer &
research health protection
Enterprise
& industrial Social Taxation Information
society &
policy policy & Economic media
employment &
monetary
policy
Negotiations on each cluster open as a whole – after the country fulfils the opening
benchmarks. Each chapter will be dealt with individually with respect to its provisional closure.
Each cluster consists of respective negotiation chapters. For
Negotiations on the fundamentals open first and close last; progress under the fundamentals’
cluster will determine the overall pace of negotiations. If there is sufficient progress on
instance, the cluster of “Fundamentals” includes: Judiciary and
reform priorities, this should lead to closer integration with the European Union,
through accelerated integration and increased investments and funding.
fundamental rights, Justice, Freedom and Security, Public procurement,
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Similarly, the cluster for “Internal Market” includes: Free movement
of goods, Free movement for workers, Right of establishment and
freedom to provide services, Free movement of capital, Company
law, Intellectual property law, Competition policy, Financial services,
Consumer and health protection. Other clusters are shaped in a similar
manner.