EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has highlighted, among other things, corruption and oligarchs as things that Ukraine must deal with before it is ready to join the EU.
A truce in the war is also expected to be required before any major steps forward can be taken.
Above all, the action from the EU is a political mark - Ukraine should be part of the European family and not a Russian, according to SVT's reporter.
- It is a way to instill courage in Ukraine, says Andreas Öbrink.
Several countries are waiting for information
Countries that have been on the EU waiting list for a long time are not as happy today.
Both Albania and northern Macedonia have wanted to start real negotiations on EU membership for many years.
- There was no solution to that yesterday, where they were very disappointed and quite upset yesterday.
Bosnia and Serbia and Montenegro have also been waiting for many years, says SVT's reporter on site in Brussels.
Hear more in the clip above.
Four questions on Ukraine's EU candidate status
What does the decision mean?
18 sec
How long will it take?
22 sec
Does Ukraine meet the requirements?
33 sec
How does the process work?
31 sec