Inside the EU’s latest plan to keep would-be members close

BRUSSELS — The European Commission is drawing up plans to give EU candidate countries economic benefits before they join the bloc, as governments search for ways to speed up enlargement without lowering the bar for entry.

The proposals form part of the Commission’s push for “gradual integration” — rewarding candidates with greater access to the EU as they deliver reforms while their membership bids are still being processed, according to two officials granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The benefits under discussion include access to some EU funding programs, preferential trade arrangements, and partial access to the single market before accession, with the exact package to be tailored to each candidate country’s progress. The aim is to keep candidate countries on track by giving them incentives to push through politically difficult reforms even if full membership remains years away.

Unlike earlier ideas for “reverse enlargement,” which would have granted countries political rights before completing the accession process (the plan was rejected by EU capitals), gradual integration would offer membership-style economic benefits without bringing countries into the EU before they are deemed ready.

The proposal already has more political momentum than earlier plans. France and Germany — the EU’s two heavyweights — have previously backed similar “membership-lite” ideas for countries facing lengthy accession timelines, and officials are optimistic the approach will prove more palatable to capitals than previous schemes.

“There must be some parallel, but necessary economic integration,” said Petras Auštrevičius, the Lithuanian MEP who drafted the European Parliament’s enlargement strategy. “The more-for-more principle is well tested and should be embraced as supporting those candidates who progress better than others.”

The Commission will seek backing from EU capitals for the initiative, with officials hoping leaders will endorse work on a broader framework at a European Council in either October or December.

Under the plans, access to benefits would be granted on a case-by-case basis depending on how far each country has aligned with EU rules and how many reforms they have implemented, one official said. That would mark a significant departure from the current system, under which most benefits are reserved for full members.

The proposals come as governments broadly agree that enlargement needs to move faster, particularly in light of Russia’s war against Ukraine, but remain wary of admitting countries before they are fully prepared. Brussels is therefore trying to accelerate the process while building in stronger safeguards to reassure skeptical capitals.

The approach is also designed to keep candidate countries such as Ukraine — whose accession is likely to take years despite strong political backing — fully engaged in the process without promising rapid membership.

Countries would have to “build up” access to benefits as they implement reforms, one official said, helping reassure governments worried about extending membership perks to non-members.

Following a meeting with Moldovan officials on Monday, the Commission said it would pursue both the country’s accession and “deepening Moldova’s gradual integration into the European Union.” Moldova has already been offered access to the Single Euro Payments Area, EU mobile roaming arrangements and cultural support programs.

Momentum on broader enlargement reform has otherwise been lacking. While EU leaders agreed at a summit in Montenegro earlier this month that the accession process must be accelerated, discussions over how to achieve that have since lost steam.

The EU currently has nine official candidate countries. Montenegro is widely seen as the frontrunner for membership, while Ukraine and Moldova have opened accession talks. Others, including Serbia, Turkey and Georgia, have seen their applications stall.

While gradual integration is intended to make accession more attractive, both Ukraine and Montenegro have opposed the “membership-lite” concept pitched by France and Germany, arguing it shouldn’t become a substitute for full membership.

With earlier Commission proposals for “reverse enlargement” having failed to win backing from EU countries, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said it’s now up to governments to decide how to move the debate forward.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is among the leaders pushing for alternative approaches and had intended to raise the issue at last week’s European Council summit. But the agenda overran, leaving no time for a substantive discussion, according to three officials. Leaders are instead expected to return to the issue at their October meeting.

One diplomat involved in the talks said officials were trying to make up for a “lost decade” of enlargement reform while overcoming resistance from governments determined to ensure that candidate countries complete meaningful reforms before joining.

Kos told POLITICO earlier this month that the Commission is also developing new safeguards that would “bite hard” if future member countries backslide on democracy or the rule of law after accession — another attempt to reassure governments that the bloc can accelerate enlargement without weakening its standards.

Max Griera contributed to this report.