News: The European Commission is preparing new proposals to reform the enlargement process

The European Commission is preparing a series of proposals to reform the European Union’s enlargement process, which are expected to be presented before the European Council meeting in October. The initiative stems from the need to prevent Montenegro, the candidate country closest to accession, from becoming the only testing ground for the introduction of new conditions and safeguards in future accession treaties.

In recent months, enlargement has returned to the top of the European agenda. Several Member States have put forward their own reform proposals. Five of the six EU founding countries have called for stronger safeguards against possible democratic backsliding and violations of the rule of law after accession, drawing lessons from the difficulties experienced with Hungary. Germany and France have instead proposed forms of gradual integration, allowing candidate countries to benefit in advance from some advantages of EU membership, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has revived the idea of an “associated member” status, particularly in relation to support for Ukraine.

At the same time, Brussels is also finalising a review of pre-accession policies, aimed at defining how a European Union with more than thirty Member States could function in terms of budget, governance and decision-making processes. A key element of the reform concerns strengthening safeguard clauses included in future accession treaties. The objective is to ensure that commitments made by candidate countries, particularly regarding the rule of law, judicial independence, democracy and fundamental rights, continue to be respected after joining the Union. According to the Commission, future treaties should include more effective mechanisms to prevent possible democratic regression.

The new safeguards also draw on previous enlargement experiences, particularly Croatia’s accession in 2013, when a post-negotiation monitoring system was introduced focusing on justice, fundamental rights, judicial independence, minority protection and the handling of war crimes. In the past, safeguard clauses already existed concerning the internal market, economic issues and judicial cooperation, applicable during the first three years after accession.

Among the proposals discussed by Member States are particularly far-reaching measures, such as suspending EU funds or voting rights for new members that violate the rule of law. However, these proposals face strong opposition, as some governments believe they could undermine the principle of equality among Member States and amount to a substantial reopening of accession treaties. A more widely supported option is the possibility of extending certain transitional periods, for example by maintaining longer restrictions on access to labour markets in other EU countries for workers from new Member States.

Another proposal concerns the possible obligation for future members to join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) as an integral part of the integration process. Overall, according to several observers, introducing stronger safeguards could help reassure countries traditionally more sceptical about enlargement and facilitate the ratification of future accession treaties, making the process more credible and sustainable in the long term.