The European Commission has adopted a package on pre-EU-enlargement policy reviews, setting out policy orientations and actions needed to prepare the EU for future enlargements to Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine.
Following mandate from the EU member states, the measures proposed prepare the EU’s governance, policies and budget for enlargement, while strengthening the protection of the Union’s values and the rule of law.
“As enlargement countries advance on their path of reform, the EU must be ready to welcome them,” said the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen: ” This means preparing our institutions, adapting our policies for new realities, and ensuring our budget reflects our shared ambitions.”
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as growing instability in Europe’s neighbourhood, have made enlargement a priority, according to the Commission.
For example “we propose to consider targeted arrangements for the integration of Ukraine’s agricultural sector”, said Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos. At the same time “we are proposing ways to make our institutions leaner and able to take decisions faster. These changes need to make sure that a larger European Union is also a stronger Union, able to shape its own future.”
The package will feed into strategic discussion among Member States on enlargement and reforms, including at the European Council in October.
The Commission’s package provides an in-depth assessment of EU policies in light of upcoming enlargements. It sets out how the existing Treaty framework and future accession treaties can be used to prepare the Union for a larger membership.
It also proposes a set of safeguards for future accession treaties, including stronger sectoral safeguards and a new institutional safeguard clause, to ensure that commitments undertaken during accession negotiations continue to be fulfilled steadily after accession.
The package reinforces the gradual integration process by making it more coherent, more structured and predictable, says the Commission. This enhanced process is aimed at further supporting candidate countries prepare for membership through earlier participation in selected EU policies, ‘provided conditions are met’. This can build administrative capacity, strengthen preparedness for accession and deliver tangible benefits for citizens and businesses both in the EU and in enlargement countries before membership. Participation would remain merit-based, conditional and reversible, and depend on policy readiness and strategic alignment.
The Commission now invites the European Council and the European Parliament to advance discussions and institutional preparations and policy measures.
As part of the 2026 Enlargement package, the Commission is to present indicative roadmaps for Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine, provided they maintain reform momentum. It will also present a coherent approach for the gradual integration, including a mapping of the strategic areas.
The Commission says it will also work with Member States and candidate countries to align accession negotiations with the Union’s internal preparations.
