Brussels – It was originally “Mega Monday” – as Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos referred to 15 June, when three Accession Conferences were held with Montenegro, Ukraine and Moldova. Things have perhaps got a little out of hand – in terms of the terminology, not the goals. And now, four candidate countries are hoping that 14 July will become a “Terrific Tuesday” for EU enlargement.
The first to prompt Commissioner Kos to take her catchphrase a step further was Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić. “We are happy to be part of the Mega Monday – and of other Mega Mondays, Super Tuesdays, Wonderful Wednesdays and whatever else may come.” At the press conference following the Accession Conference with Ukraine, she said she expected the Council to “proceed with the opening of the remaining five negotiating clusters before summer [break, ed], and then we can have a Terrific Tuesday in July.”
What a “Terrific Tuesday” for EU enlargement could entail
First of all, why 14 July? This is when the next General Affairs Council will meet in Brussels. Intergovernmental conferences with candidate countries are usually held on the margins of meetings of EU ministers for European affairs. “Mega Monday” took place not on the same day, but was brought forward on the eve of the General Affairs Council meeting held in Luxembourg on 16 June.
While “Mega Monday” brought together three candidates – Kyiv, Chișinău and Podgorica – a “Terrific Tuesday” could expand the group to four, with Albania, one of the front-runners in the accession process, also hoping to make progress by closing its first negotiating chapters.
After opening Cluster 1 – ‘Fundamentals’, Ukraine now aims to complete the first stage of the negotiating process by opening all five remaining clusters. In Kyiv, there is already talk of “moving ahead towards a successful conclusion” of the negotiations, as Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka said, reiterating the goal of completing all the accession process “by the end of 2027.”
Also in light of the front-loading work carried out since March, the Commission considers it possible to open all 33 negotiating chapters as early as July. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend the European Council meeting on 18 June in person and is expected to ask EU leaders for a clear “timeline for opening the next five clusters and further steps.” As an EU official confirmed, the heads of state and government will not shy away from a discussion on “how to move forward” on the accession negotiations, and the conclusions are once again expected to reflect the common position of all 27 leaders – with Hungary back on board.
Moldova is pursuing the same objective and appears better placed to succeed on 14 July. Commissioner Kos confirmed that Chișinău is “among the best-performing EU candidate countries” and that the “next stage of the EU accession process” has begun. This means that the opening of the first cluster on 15 June may be followed by the remaining five “before the end of the summer,” paving the way for the fulfilment of interim benchmarks, “after which Moldova will start closing chapters.” Ambassador Daniela Morari, Head of Mission of Moldova to the EU, told The New Union Post that she hopes this commitment “will be reconfirmed” in the European Council conclusions.
Montenegro is working hard to close as many negotiating chapters as possible before the summer break – which usually runs from the end of July to the beginning of September for EU institutions. So far, four chapters have been provisionally closed in 2026 under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council, bringing the total to 16. The goal is to conclude all remaining work on the other 17 before the end of the year, under the upcoming Irish Presidency.
The drafting of common positions for Chapter 8 (Competition Policy) and Chapter 29 (Customs Union) is currently underway at technical level, and both chapters are expected to be provisionally closed at the next Accession Conference, potentially on 14 July. Discussions are also ongoing on Chapter 14 (Transport Policy) – which could bring the number of provisionally closed chapters up to 19 – while the Accession Treaty is currently being drafted.
And finally, the potential fourth addition to the club of “Special Days” for EU enlargement. Albania has just received a positive Interim Benchmark Assessment Report (IBAR), meaning that it has fulfilled the mid-process rule-of-law conditions that must be met before negotiations can move to the next stage. In other words, it can now begin closing accession chapters.
The Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession to the EU (COELA) – the Council body responsible for preparing the technical and political steps in the enlargement process – is currently drafting the common positions for Chapter 25 (Science and Research), Chapter 26 (Education and Culture) and Chapter 30 (External Relations). If deemed ready, the provisional closure of the first three chapters in Albania’s accession negotiations could be scheduled for 14 July, less than two years after the formal opening of accession talks with Tirana.
