Marta Kos: All four remaining EU accession clusters for Moldova and Ukraine are ready to open
All four remaining negotiation clusters for the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine are ready to open and will commence as soon as the member states reach a consensus within the Council of the European Union. This announcement was made on Thursday, July 16, by the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, during her address at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels.
According to the Commissioner, this autumn, the European Commission will present a package of proposals aimed at preparing the EU for a new enlargement. This package will also introduce new mechanisms for the gradual integration of candidate states.
In her speech, Marta Kos provided a comprehensive overview of the European Union's enlargement process, stating that it is moving forward "at a speed never seen in the last 15 years." She emphasized that accession is no longer merely an enlargement policy but has become a strategic project essential for the security and future of Europe.
Referring to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the Commissioner noted that on July 14, during what she termed "Super Tuesday," these two states opened Cluster 6 - "External Relations," just a month after launching negotiations for Cluster 1 - "Fundamental Values."
"All four remaining clusters (the accession process consists of 33 chapters divided into six groups) are ready to be opened. As soon as the Council reaches a consensus, we will proceed," Marta Kos stated, clarifying that the current pace of negotiations depends on the unanimous agreement of the member states.
Developments of other candidate states: Montenegro emerges as a leader
An EU official recently reviewed the progress of various candidate states aspiring for membership. Notably, Montenegro has closed two more negotiation chapters this week, positioning itself as the most advanced candidate for accession.
"Member states have begun drafting Montenegro's accession treaty. This is a significant step we haven't seen since 2009, when we were preparing for Croatia's accession," said Commissioner Marta Kos. She added that under the Irish presidency of the EU Council, negotiations with Podgorica could be completed by the end of this year.
In the context of Albania, the commissioner praised the closure of three chapters, emphasizing that this marks the first time Albania has effectively started closing chapters in the accession process.
For North Macedonia, Kos commended the implementation of the Growth Plan reforms, labeling the country as one of the best performers in this regard. However, she cautioned that the progress of negotiations hinges on the adoption of the agreed constitutional amendments.
"The country is advancing rapidly in the implementation of economic reforms, but it must adopt the necessary constitutional changes to maintain this momentum in the accession negotiations," Kos stated.
Regarding Serbia, Marta Kos noted that the European Commission has long advocated opening Cluster 3. However, a lack of trust among certain member states has hindered a unanimous decision.
"The technical conditions have been met, but several member states still lack the confidence needed to make a positive decision by unanimity. This is where the Serbian leadership needs to focus," Kos said.
The Commissioner also expressed hope for positive developments concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Turkey, and Georgia.
EU Enlargement – a response to new geopolitical challenges
One of the main messages of the speech was that the enlargement of the European Union today represents a security policy and a response to new geopolitical challenges.
"Enlargement today is much more than enlargement. It is part of the reshaping of Europe's political and security architecture. It is not just about the candidate states catching up with the European Union, but also about how they will make the Union stronger," the Commissioner said.
She paid special attention to Ukraine, which she said would become one of the most important pillars of European security.
“Ukraine will be a country that has defeated Russia in an existential war. It will be one of the greatest military powers in Europe, with an experience that no one else has. Integrating such a country into the heart of the European Union is simply in our interest. It is about making peace and stability a permanent reality. Ukraine is simply too important to fail,” said Marta Kos.
The Commissioner also insisted on the economic benefits of enlargement, citing Poland, whose gross domestic product tripled after joining the European Union.
“Every previous enlargement has been an economic success story. Investor interest in candidate countries is already very high,” she said.
European Commission to propose extending the concept of gradual integration
In the final part of her speech, Marta Kos presented what she called “a new piece of news” regarding the future of the enlargement process. She announced that this autumn the European Commission will propose measures to prepare the Union for new members.
“The Commission will present a technical assessment of the impact of future enlargements on the functioning of the Union and on the main European policies. We will analyse what adjustments are needed for the European institutions to function effectively in an enlarged Union and we will present our ideas on the accession treaty of Montenegro and the guarantees that will set a precedent for the states that will follow”, the official explained.
At the same time, the European executive will propose extending the concept of gradual integration, which allows candidate states to benefit from certain advantages of EU membership before actual accession.
“We are exploring the possibility of extending this approach, including by offering access to the single market before accession, in order to accelerate convergence and so that the impact on the European market is reduced when new members join the Union. This is beneficial for companies, for workers and for society as a whole”, said Marta Kos.
According to the Commissioner, a united European Union means the absence of war, which is the community's main purpose. She also said that the candidate states will contribute to the peace, freedom and prosperity of the Union and that the care of the European continent is the responsibility of all states, calling for unity, peace, freedom and prosperity.
