European Commission proposes gradual and reversible enlargement.

In a Communication published on Wednesday 20 March, the European Commission recommended the gradual integration of new members into the European Union (EU). The Communication emphasises that the accession of new members is of strategic interest to the EU. New members would confer greater geopolitical weight and influence on the EU on the global stage. To this end, the European Commission outlines the priorities prior to enlargement in order to be prepared for the "Union of tomorrow".

Gradual enlargement

The Communication proposes that candidate countries be given the opportunity to gradually integrate into selected European policy areas before being granted full membership. This would prioritise certain benefits and obligations of EU membership. In line with the Conclusions of the European Council of 23 and 24 June 2022, these would be granted in line with the progress made by the respective candidate countries and would be reversible. This should ultimately ensure that the candidate countries are truly prepared for accession. However, the goal is and remains full membership with all rights and obligations. There will be no membership à la carte.

Priorities for EU reform

In her State of the Union address on 13 September last year, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asserted that EU enlargement must be "a catalyst for progress". This Communication is the Commission's contribution to the discussions in the Council, which should lead to the adoption of a roadmap for EU enlargement and reform by summer 2024. The Communication looks at the implications of a larger EU in four main areas: values, policies, budget and governance. Among the common fundamental values, the importance of the rule of law is emphasised. The EU's instruments need to be strengthened to ensure that the rule of law is consistently upheld throughout the EU post-accession.

Unanimity

In September, France and Germany presented the report of a joint commission of experts. Entitled "Sailing on High Seas", the report emphasises the challenges arising from EU enlargement, which are particularly evident in the decision-making mechanisms within the EU. The central proposal was that the unanimity rule should only be the exception, and the use of the so-called "passerelle clauses" should be encouraged. These are already provided for in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and enable a transition from unanimity to qualified majority voting in certain policy areas. In doing so, France and Germany had responded to a request from experts from the Baltic States, Denmark, Finland, Poland and Sweden. Given the complexity of treaty reform, their report calls for solutions to be sought within the existing legal framework. The European Commission follows this proposal in its Communication. However, the activation of the passerelle clauses requires unanimity. Activation should therefore be combined with appropriate and proportionate safeguards to accommodate strategic national interests. These need to be developed now.

Which countries could join the EU?

At the end of last year, the EU began accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and granted Georgia candidate status. With the Western Balkan states of Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia, negotiations are also ongoing, while the European Council approved accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina on 21 March. Turkey has been an EU candidate country since 2005, but talks have stalled since 2018. Kosovo submitted its formal application for membership at the end of 2022. However, the situation is complicated, as five EU member states (Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Spain and Slovakia) do not recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state.

What happens next?

With its Communication, the European Commission is laying the groundwork for the pre-enlargement policy reviews announced by President Ursula von der Leyen in her 2023 State of the Union Address to see how individual areas may need to be adapted to a larger Union. These reviews also apply to the institutions and are to be carried out in early 2025. Based on the results of the reviews, the European Commission plans on drawing up reform proposals.