Enlargement is getting real: Is the EU ready?
marianna.liana…
Thu, 11/05/2026 – 10:46
5 minutes
It feels like EU enlargement is getting closer. The Commission is no longer just assessing whether enlargement partners are ready to join. It is proposing steps to prepare the EU to welcome them in. With its October Preparing for a Wider Union communication, the Commission has set out proposals to adapt the EU’s decision-making, policies and budget to accommodate new members.
The 2026 Enlargement Package thus comes at a time when the prospect of the next enlargement is beginning to take a somewhat more concrete shape. Yet the path to membership looks different for each enlargement partner. For some, the task is to sustain reform progress and bring negotiations to a close. For others, it is to translate progress in negotiations into lasting reforms, overcome political deadlock or reverse democratic backsliding. The Commission’s new indicative roadmaps for Albania, Moldova, Montenegro and Ukraine set out milestones for the year ahead, offering a more concrete framework for the next steps. Yet …read more
