Brussels – Strengthened gradual integration of candidate countries into selected parts of the EU internal market, a new set of safeguards in the Accession Treaties of future member states, and passerelle clauses to move to qualified majority voting in selected areas in the Council.
With almost a one-year delay, the European Commission presented on 6 October its communication on pre-enlargement policy reviews, called Preparing for a wider Union. The long-awaited proposal addresses how an enlarged Union should work and how to prevent the accession of new members from paralysing the functioning and mechanisms of the EU institutions.
“Our assessment shows that the EU can accommodate a larger membership, but there are areas where we see challenges we need to address,” Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said, presenting the three strands of proposals on pre-enlargement policy. “These changes need to make sure that a larger European Union is also a stronger Union, able to shape its own future.”
What is the proposal on pre-enlargement policy reviews
What the European Commission published on 6 October is a communication – a soft-law instrument setting out a strategic approach but carrying no legally binding force. This means that, from this point onwards, the Council and the Parliament may or may not take forward work on all, some or just a few of the Commission’s proposals – adjusting them as they see fit within the framework of the current Treaties.
As the Commission outlines, the pre-enlargement policy reviews identify four key areas to be prioritised – governance, values, policies and budget – showing that the Union can accommodate more members through targeted adaptations within the existing Treaty framework and accession treaties. “Enlargement remains a merit-based process, determined by the reform progress of each acceding country.”
The package of proposals will serve as the basis for EU leaders’ strategic discussion on enlargement and EU institutional reforms at the European Council summit on 15–16 October. Moreover, it will guide work with both the Council and the Parliament – which already has its own position on the institutional consequences of EU enlargement negotiations – in potential negotiations on the institutional and operational adjustments required for future accessions.
The next crucial step will be the presentation of the 2026 Enlargement Package – which is currently expected on 28 October – when the Commission will reveal indicative roadmaps for Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine, providing a clearer framework for where, and potentially when, the reforms and conditions expected of each candidate could take them in their respective accession negotiations. Moreover, the Commission will also detail a coherent approach to strengthening the gradual integration of candidate countries, including a mapping of the strategic areas.
Safeguards for new members
The most anticipated proposal concerns the safeguards that should ensure respect for the rule of law after the accession of new members, which should not be allowed to backslide on EU principles and values, as has already happened in the past.
The Commission proposed that future accession treaties should include stronger safeguards against “serious shortcomings” in commitments undertaken during the accession negotiations that could risk undermining the proper functioning of the Union. This would be enabled through a common framework of “temporary, targeted and reversible” safeguards, based on tools already available under the Treaties.
First, revisiting the three existing sectoral safeguards used in previous enlargements – covering the economy, the internal market, and justice and home affairs. However, they could be applied for a “longer invocation period” than the previous three years, “with a possibility for a further extension”.
Second, establishing a new institutional safeguard that would address “serious breaches” of EU values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union or of the principle of sincere cooperation among EU members, which could lead to the suspension of voting rights. This new safeguard would be available for the first 15 years after accession and would complement existing instruments, such as the suspension clause under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union.
Third, introducing a clause on decision-making rights during the first years of membership, which would require a new member state to commit not to oppose EU decisions on future enlargements or bilateral disputes.
Deepening gradual integration
Another highly anticipated proposal concerns strengthening the gradual integration of the current candidate countries, which should bring tangible benefits to citizens and businesses “well before full membership,” by allowing them to progressively participate in selected parts of the EU internal market and by supporting internal reforms.
What the Commission proposes is to map existing instruments to identify where it is possible to deepen integration in strategic sectors such as energy, transport, digital and defence, helping to strengthen connectivity, investment and resilience.
Gradual integration would remain complementary to – not a substitute for – the accession process, by providing concrete incentives for reform and building administrative capacity. However, participation would remain “conditional on progress in the relevant areas” and measures “reversible where necessary.”
In this regard, the Commission proposed launching annual dialogues with enlargement partners to take stock of progress, identify further opportunities for gradual integration and address remaining gaps or barriers. The goal is to provide a regular framework for assessing implementation, strengthening cooperation and ensuring that gradual integration delivers practical results on the ground, with a view to sustaining the EU accession path.
Decision-making and financing
Preparing for a future with 27+ EU members also means that an internal reflection on how the Union works must take place. This is why the Commission proposed to adapt the governance model to make decision-making “swifter and more effective,” by making “full use” of the possibilities offered by the existing Treaties – including passerelle clauses and enhanced cooperation.
To overcome the problems caused by the unanimity rule in the Council, passerelle clauses – legal mechanisms that allow a shift in decision-making procedures without a formal amendment of the Treaties – can help move to qualified majority voting (QMV) in selected areas, “such as sanctions, tackling tax fraud and fiscal measures in energy policy.” To reassure member states that their essential national interests will not be overridden, “appropriate safeguards” could be put in place.
Concerning specifically EU enlargement policy, the Commission also recommends using qualified majority voting for the opening of negotiating clusters and for intermediate decisions in accession negotiations.
“When the objectives of a Union policy cannot be attained within a reasonable period by the Union as a whole,” the Treaties provide another means of advancing these objectives – enhanced cooperation. This procedure enables a group of at least nine member states to establish closer cooperation in a specific policy area, subject to the conditions laid down in the Treaties. The Commission’s proposal is to review pending proposals to identify where enhanced cooperation could help overcome persistent blockages.
Another concern addressed by the Commission is the budgetary framework for future enlargement. The proposed 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) – which is currently under negotiation by the co-legislators – provides tailored pre-accession support through the new Global Europe Instrument and a shift towards an objective-based financing model. “Progressive integration of the candidate countries into EU programmes will smooth the transition” to National and Regional Partnership Plans once they become EU members.
One example is Montenegro’s financial package, presented in June 2026, which demonstrates how country-specific plans will bridge pre- and post-accession funding, avoiding implementation gaps. As negotiations approach completion for Podgorica, “the Commission will set out the funding transition in a specific financial package for each enlargement country.”
However, for Ukraine – given the scale, structure and very high productivity of its agricultural sector – “targeted arrangements should significantly limit financial support and market access” for sensitive agricultural products, while helping Ukraine regain access to its traditional third-country export markets.
