Politico: EU preparing a scheme that gives candidate countries economic benefits before full membership

The European Union is drafting a new approach for candidate countries that would give them economic advantages even before full entry into the bloc, with the aim of accelerating enlargement and encouraging the continuation of reforms.

Under this framework, the benefits would be granted gradually and depending on each state’s progress in the required reforms and alignment with EU legislation. This would open the way for candidate countries to gain access to the bloc’s funding programs, preferential trade agreements, and partly to the European single market.

While earlier ideas had envisaged granting certain political rights before accession and met resistance from member states, the new version is limited only to economic benefits and does not grant candidate countries full political status within the EU.

This initiative has secured broader political support, especially from France and Germany, which see gradual integration as a way to keep candidate countries engaged in the reform process, even if full membership still remains several years away.

The European Commission aims to win the backing of member state governments for this model at European Council meetings expected to be held in October or December. The benefits would be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the progress achieved by each candidate country.

The plan is taking shape at a time when the EU is seeking to speed up the enlargement process, especially after Russian aggression against Ukraine, but without lowering membership standards. One of the main goals is for countries such as Ukraine and Moldova to remain engaged by receiving tangible benefits along their path toward membership.

There are currently nine countries with candidate status in the European Union. Montenegro is seen as the closest to membership, while Ukraine and Moldova have opened negotiations. By contrast, the process for Serbia, Turkey, and Georgia has remained slowed down.

At the same time, the European Commission is also working on new safeguard mechanisms that would allow intervention if countries that join in the future were to backslide on democratic standards or the rule of law after entering the EU. The aim is to preserve the integrity of the enlargement process.

Since the Commission’s earlier proposals for “reverse enlargement” failed to win the support of EU countries, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said it is now up to governments to decide how the debate will proceed.

Among the leaders pushing forward alternative approaches is German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who intended to raise this issue at last week’s European Council summit.

A diplomat involved in the negotiations said officials were trying to make up for a “lost decade” of enlargement reform, while at the same time facing resistance from governments seeking guarantees that candidate countries will carry out meaningful reforms before accession.

Earlier this month, Kos told Politico that the Commission is also preparing new safeguard measures that would “dig in” if future member states move away from democracy or the rule of law after joining. According to her, this is another effort to reassure governments that the bloc can speed up enlargement without undermining its own standards.