The European Commission has set out a package of policy reviews and proposals designed to prepare the European Union’s institutions, policies and budget for future enlargements.
The package follows a pledge made by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her 2023 State of the Union address and work mandated by the European Council, the Commission said in a statement on Tuesday.
It noted that its assessment found the EU can accommodate a larger membership within the existing Treaty framework and accession treaties, while noting that administrative capacity and implementation were recurring requirements for both the EU and candidate countries.
It proposed adding stronger safeguards to future accession treaties to address “serious backsliding” after countries join, including an extended period for activating sector-specific safeguards in areas such as the internal market and justice and home affairs.
In the most serious cases, measures under a new “institutional safeguard” could include suspending a member state’s voting rights in the Council — the body where national ministers adopt EU laws.
Von der Leyen said the Commission was “laying the groundwork” to ensure a larger EU is “more resilient, more effective, and firmly anchored in the values and rules that define us.”
Budget, Ukraine agriculture and decision-making
On the budget, the Commission said the EU budget could accommodate new member states while continuing to finance existing priorities, pointing to its proposed long-term budget plan for 2028–2034.
Under that proposal, candidate countries would be funded under the EU’s external spending heading, “Global Europe”, before accession, with funding shifting at accession to national and regional plans and additional support for cohesion and agriculture, among other areas.
For Ukraine, the Commission proposed “targeted arrangements” that would “significantly limit” financial support and market access for sensitive agricultural products, while helping Ukraine regain access to traditional non-EU export markets.
On decision-making, the Commission said it would continue to advocate using treaty “passerelle” clauses — a mechanism that allows certain decisions to move from unanimity to qualified majority voting — in areas including sanctions, tax fraud and fiscal measures in energy policy.
It also suggested using qualified majority voting for opening negotiating “clusters” and other intermediate steps in accession talks, which group negotiating chapters by policy area.
The Commission said the package would feed into discussions among member states, including at the European Council in October, and guide work with the European Parliament and the Council on changes needed for future accessions.
As part of its 2026 enlargement package, it plans to present indicative roadmaps for Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine, provided they maintain reform momentum.
