Brussels – After the postponement, a decoupling. There is still no clarity over the communication on EU reforms that the European Commission is expected to publish, which is intended to provide initial guidance for a debate that promises to be anything but straightforward, and may even prove inconclusive in the Council.
The Commission was expected to publish the non-legislative initiative on “policy reviews and reforms to prepare the EU for enlargement” on 4 November, alongside the presentation of the 2025 Enlargement Package. Both initiatives were initially scheduled for 29 October on the College agenda but were later postponed by one week.
While the document outlining the European Commission’s approach to integrating potential new member states will indeed be presented by Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and High Representative Kaja Kallas according to the updated schedule, the communication on EU reforms has been further delayed, with no new date yet announced.
“Our objective is to build a stronger Union while welcoming new member states,” a Commission spokesperson told The New Union Post, emphasising that “we must use enlargement as a catalyst for progress in terms of our capacity to act, our policies and our spending programmes.”
On timing, the spokesperson added that “we are working diligently to finalise the communication as soon as possible. We will communicate its adoption date in due course.” However, as The New Union Post has learnt, the communication on EU reforms will not have to wait long, and should be expected after the first EU Enlargement Forum scheduled for 18 November.
What to expect on EU reforms
Whenever it actually happens, what the Commission is about to publish is a communication—a soft law instrument setting out a strategic approach but carrying no legally binding force. Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has anticipated 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. Policy reviews will cover strengthening sectoral policies, values, and the budget. Building on the communication, the Commission will engage with the Parliament and the Council to determine to what extent it will be possible to make progress with the co-legislators.
Regarding the plan suggested by some member states to admit new members without granting them full voting rights and the veto power – an unexpected response to European Council President António Costa‘s proposal to reconsider the unanimity rule across the EU enlargement process – Commissioner Kos said that “we have not discussed this at all within the Commission.”
Waiting for the new Enlargement Package
Meanwhile, everything is ready for the publication of the new Enlargement Package, the annual set of documents outlining the latest findings on the countries involved in the enlargement process and the prospects for their potential accession. It will cover officially recognised candidate countries—currently Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine—as well as potential candidates, currently only Kosovo.
The Enlargement Package comprises a communication and country-specific reports. The Enlargement Communication is a strategic document reviewing key developments over the past year, including recommendations for advancing the process. The country-specific reports provide a detailed assessment of each candidate’s progress and gaps, particularly in critical areas such as the rule of law, offering in-depth analyses of the reforms needed to align national legislation with EU standards.
