Here is what the status of a candidate for EU will give to Ukraine.

 Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal named six advantages that EU membership candidate status will provide:

1. First, it is a legal consolidation of Ukraine’s European future. It means that Ukraine will not just join the EU overnight, but will go through a process where it already meets many of the necessary criteria.
2. Preparations for membership will include the completion of a comprehensive transformation in all areas. Ukraine will be constantly supported by the European Commission, providing necessary advice and other assistance.
3. Ukraine will become a full member of EU programs and initiatives open to both EU and candidate countries. As a result, Ukraine, as a candidate country, will have more opportunities to have its voice heard in EU policymaking.
4. By gaining candidate status and moving towards membership, Ukraine will become more attractive to investors. The business climate will be closer to EU conditions – investors will operate in a predictable and business-protected market.
5. Ukraine will have access to financial assistance for countries preparing to join the EU (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)). This aid may be provided through grants, investments, or technical assistance.
6. The EU will treat the Ukrainian restoration funds not as the post-war reconstruction of an outside country but as investing in the welfare of a potential EU member.