Brussels – Reading the 2026 Commission work programme, published on 21 October by the EU’s executive, one major element is missing—or almost. EU enlargement receives barely four lines in a 30-page document, with no legislative or non-legislative initiatives scheduled for the coming year.
The disappointment among professionals working on enlargement and the EU’s pre-enlargement internal reforms can be tempered by what is about to unfold in Brussels and what has already been anticipated by those responsible for this policy within the Commission, namely President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, to the European Parliament’s plenary session.
“The Commission plans to adopt the policy reviews on 4 November,” said Commissioner Kos, while discussing MEP Sandro Gozi‘s report on the institutional consequences of the EU enlargement negotiations (set to be adopted on 22 October by the plenary session). As previously reported by The New Union Post, the item “An EU Fit for Enlargement: Policy Reviews and Reforms” was initially scheduled for 28 October in the College agenda, alongside the presentation of the 2025 Enlargement Package. Both initiatives, however, have now been postponed by one week.
“The policy reviews should help to set out a clear path for advancing on the parallel tracks of enlargement and EU reforms,” Commissioner Kos added, outlining the work for the years ahead. “After the adoption of the upcoming communication [a non-legislative proposal, ed.], the Commission will continue to engage with the Parliament and the Council, following closely all developments.”
What the Commission work programme anticipates for 2026
So, what exactly does the 2026 Commission work programme outline regarding EU enlargement? “We will advance on the enlargement path, while facilitating the gradual integration of enlargement partners across different policy areas,” the document states. It also notes that the upcoming pre-enlargement policy reviews “will guide the way to our Union’s future—ensuring readiness in areas such as the rule of law, energy, food security, defence and migration.”
Much of the Commission’s work will focus on the interinstitutional negotiations on the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The proposed framework integrates enlargement policy into a new Global Europe instrument, designed to reorganise the EU’s external action. “Global Europe will reinforce the EU’s standing as a trusted and reliable partner, while promoting the Union’s strategic interests worldwide,” the 2026 Commission work programme states.
The 2026 Commission work programme gives particular attention to Ukraine. “The EU will continue to stand firmly with Ukraine, providing steadfast support for its urgent financial and military needs and reconstruction efforts, while maintaining and expanding sanctions aimed at weakening the Russian war machine.” Discussing the 2026 Commission Work Programme with MEPs, Commission President von der Leyen warned that “even if the war stops, Putin’s war economy and imperial delusions will not go away.”
The only date to mark in the calendar is in the last quarter of 2026, when—according to Annex II – Annual Plan on evaluations and fitness checks—the Commission is expected to publish the mid-term evaluation of the Ukraine Facility, which will set the stage for discussions on the EU’s financial support in the next MFF.
More specifically on the EU enlargement process, the document pledges that “the EU will help Ukraine advance on its European path, alongside Moldova,” ensuring that “progress on integration goes hand in hand with good governance and the rule of law.”
What to expect from the pre-enlargement policy reviews
Building on the 2024 Communication on pre-enlargement reforms and policy reviews, the Commission is set to unveil its proposal on how to prepare “an enlarged and reformed EU,” Commissioner Kos recalled, highlighting the core of the EU0s pre-enlargement internal reforms: “It is time to break free from the shackles of unanimity” in certain policy areas, including the intermediate steps of the accession process.
Although the Commission’s stance is “longstanding, consistent and well known” in emphasising that unanimity “no longer makes sense if the Union wants to play its role quickly, effectively and therefore strategically,” it should be remembered that what von der Leyen’s executive is about to publish is only a communication. This is a soft law instrument setting out a strategic approach, but with no legally binding force.
What Commissioner Kos anticipated in the plenary session is that the proposal will focus on “what can already be done under the current Treaties, and on those areas where a broad consensus is emerging.” Available tools include the passerelle clauses—legal mechanisms that allow a shift in decision-making procedures without a formal treaty amendment, such as moving from unanimity to qualified majority voting.
“The policy reviews will also cover strengthening sectoral policies, values and the budget,” Commissioner Kos added, urging co-legislators to see them as “an important next step within the broader EU reform agenda.”
Finally, answering a question on potential plans regarding the possibility of admitting new members to the Union without full voting rights—as first revealed by Politico—the Commissioner responsible for enlargement policy made it clear that “we have not discussed this at all within the Commission.”
