Media: EU draws up roadmaps for four leading membership candidates

The European Union is developing plans to give Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova and Albania clearer paths towards membership, including indicative timelines for completing key stages of accession talks.

Two senior European Commission officials involved in drafting the proposals told POLITICO that the targeted roadmaps would set out the reforms expected from each country and establish rough dates for completing negotiating “clusters”.

The plans would also create obligations for existing EU members, whose unanimous support is required for candidates to advance through the accession process.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged earlier this month to provide targeted support to candidate countries that had made the most progress.

The roadmaps would not initially be offered to Kosovo, North Macedonia or Bosnia and Herzegovina, nor to Georgia, Türkiye or Serbia, according to the officials.

A Commission spokesperson said the roadmaps would provide a pathway towards concluding accession negotiations, with priorities, timelines and deliverables to help the most advanced candidates complete the necessary reforms.

The initiative comes as the EU reviews its wider pre-enlargement policy. Officials are considering ways to offer candidate countries greater economic benefits and access to joint projects as they make progress towards membership.

A draft of the review, seen by POLITICO, describes enlargement as a “geopolitical imperative”, while stressing that candidates must complete a merit-based process and carry out lasting reforms.

The EU is also considering safeguards to prevent new members from disrupting key policies or failing to meet their commitments. Possible measures include emergency clauses and transition periods before certain membership rights are fully granted.

EU leaders are due to discuss enlargement and internal reforms at a two-day summit in Brussels beginning on October 15.

Von der Leyen is also due to visit Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo this week for talks with their leaders. She will not visit Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia, which are holding national elections.