The EU is entering a critical phase in the debate over how to prepare for its next enlargement. With the European Commission’s forthcoming pre-enlargement policy review and the European Council’s expected October 2026 discussion on enlargement, a growing number of Member States have put forward proposals to adapt the accession process, provide candidates with earlier integration benefits, and prepare the EU’s institutions and policies for a larger Union.
This CEPS Policy Brief examines the main ideas currently under discussion, including both papers and ‘non-papers’, and their various implications. While these proposals differ in scope and ambition, they all recognise that the traditional accession process needs to evolve as the EU prepares for the next wave of enlargement.
Based on this analysis, three policy recommendations are put forward for how the EU can make the enlargement process more effective and credible, while still upholding the merit-based approach that underpins the accession process.
About the author:
Michael Emerson joined CEPS as an Associate Senior Research Fellow in 1998, and has worked on a succession of projects, mainly in the European neighbourhood.
Dr. Tinatin Akhvlediani is Head of the Enlargement Programme at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), where she specialises in EU enlargement and Eastern neighbourhood policies.