Steps towards an expanded European Union.

The European Commission has presented its annual enlargement package, assessing the progress made by candidate countries. It notes significant developments on the path towards a larger European Union (EU) and expresses greater optimism than in previous years. Enlargement remains a central pillar for ensuring long-term security, peace, stability and prosperity in Europe. In addition to economic reforms, aspiring member states must also align their social structures with EU standards in order to meet the requirements of membership. The expansion of social protection is regularly a key component of this reform process.

Current candidate countries

Under the Treaty on European Union, any European country may apply for membership provided it respects and promotes the EU’s democratic values. At present, nine countries hold official candidate status: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine. Kosovo has also applied for membership but has not yet been granted candidate status. Germany currently maintains bilateral social security agreements with eight of these countries, with the exceptions of Georgia and Moldova.

Given the accelerated progress of certain states, EU enlargement is increasingly viewed as a realistic prospect. Montenegro and Albania are considered front-runners in the accession process and aim to conclude their negotiations by 2026 and 2027 respectively.

Copenhagen Criteria as the foundation

The first step towards EU membership is meeting the “Copenhagen Criteria”, established by the European Council in 1993. These ensure that a country fulfils the EU’s political, economic and legal requirements. They include stable institutions, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the protection of minorities. Economically, a functioning market economy capable of withstanding competition within the single market must be in place. In addition, the so-called “EU acquis criteria” must be met, meaning that all obligations of EU membership must be adopted.

Social criteria in accession negotiations

Since 2020, the EU acquis has been divided into 35 chapters. For the areas of social affairs and employment, two chapters are particularly important:

• Chapter 2 covers the free movement of workers and directly relates to the coordination of social security systems, including the protection of employees.
  
• Chapter 19 focuses on social policy and employment, assessing whether candidate countries meet minimum labour law standards, promote equality, ensure health and safety at work and implement anti-discrimination measures.
  

Candidate countries must demonstrate that their social and labour-law systems are aligned with EU requirements. To this end, the European Commission reviews progress on the introduction of national health insurance cards and, where necessary, requests feasibility studies for the eventual implementation of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). It also evaluates the level of digitalisation to ensure that countries will be able to participate in the EU-wide Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) after accession.

This year’s assessment of social and employment policies recognises progress, for example regarding the minimum wage in Moldova, workplace health and safety in Montenegro, and social protection in Albania. At the same time, it identifies areas where further legislative and administrative adjustments are required, such as social dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina, discrimination against women in employment and social policy in Kosovo, and labour inspections in Serbia. The enlargement process thus not only opens new perspectives but also sets a clear framework for harmonising social standards.

Significance for social security

The coordination of social security systems is a core EU instrument in the field of social protection. It ensures that the social security entitlements of people who live, work or move to another EU country remain safeguarded.

For candidate countries, this means adapting their systems to the European coordination framework. They must also implement EU requirements in occupational health and safety. Furthermore, existing bilateral social security agreements would be replaced by uniform EU law, which in the long term offers significant potential to strengthen social protection systems across Europe. At the same time, citizens throughout the EU benefit from extended, well-coordinated social security. Reliable, EU-wide social protection remains an important factor in ensuring the Union’s attractiveness.