Key facts
- The EU is developing membership action plans, or roadmaps, for Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova, and Albania.
- These roadmaps will include target dates for completing key stages of accession talks.
- The plans aim to provide assurances that reforms will lead to admission and offer indicative timelines.
- Other candidate countries like Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Turkey, and Serbia will not receive these roadmaps.
- The European Commission will present these proposals, with national leaders to discuss them at an October 15 summit.
- The move is driven by geopolitical imperatives and concerns about rivals influencing candidate countries.
The European Union is preparing to offer targeted "roadmaps" to Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova, and Albania, outlining a clear, step-by-step process toward membership. These proposals, being drafted by senior European Commission officials, aim to accelerate the long-standing accession process by providing indicative timelines for the completion of reforms and negotiations.
These four countries are considered the frontrunners for EU membership, but their progress has been slow with unclear timelines. The new roadmaps would offer assurances that continued reform efforts will lead to admission, a first for the bloc. The plans will detail specific expectations for each candidate country and also create obligations for current EU member states, whose unanimous approval is required for accession.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has previously pledged support for countries that have made the most progress. However, other candidates, including Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Turkey, and Serbia, will not be included in this initial phase due to slower progress or concerns about democratic and judicial backsliding.
This initiative comes amid broader efforts to reform the EU's enlargement policies, focusing on "gradual integration" and rewarding candidate countries with economic benefits and access to joint projects for their progress. The review, led by von der Leyen’s adviser Alexandre Adam, is expected to be presented on October 6. The goal is to keep candidate countries engaged while their applications are processed and to prepare the Union for a larger membership.
Concerns remain among some member states about admitting new members, particularly in light of Hungary's challenges to rule-of-law principles and its use of veto powers. National leaders are scheduled to discuss enlargement and internal reforms at a summit in Brussels from October 15, where the Commission will seek political support to expedite the process. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos expressed hope for a productive "autumn of enlargement."