EU Commission prepares reforms for enlargement process in four areas

The European Commission is preparing to reshape the enlargement process in line with new geopolitical conditions. Marta Kos, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, stated that they are working on four main areas: internal reforms, democratic safeguards, gradual integration, and transitional measures.

In her speech at the Croatian Ambassadors' Conference held in Zagreb, Kos noted that the EU's enlargement policy must change in accordance with the current international environment. The Commission is expected to present proposals on how the Union will prepare to accept new members as candidate countries approach the final stages of membership negotiations.

The first of the planned areas is to make decision-making processes more flexible without requiring treaty changes within the EU. Kos emphasized that a Union with more members must be able to act quickly during times of crisis. In this context, reducing areas where a single member state can block others and making institutions more functional are on the agenda.

The second area involves establishing stronger safeguards regarding democratic standards and the rule of law. Stating that there is a need for mechanisms to prevent new members from backsliding in these areas after accession, Kos said, "We must not let Trojan horses in. Not today, and not in 10 or 20 years."

The other two issues the Commission is focusing on are the gradual integration of candidate countries into the Union and the implementation of comprehensive transitional measures to manage the effects of new memberships. Kos expressed that the "all or nothing" approach in the enlargement process should be abandoned and that methods should be developed to provide candidate countries with more concrete benefits before membership.

Kos also pointed out the importance of maintaining the EU budget in a structure that can finance the Union's priorities even after enlargement. The EU Commission is expected to bring its proposals regarding the enlargement process to the agenda before the EU leaders' meetings, which are anticipated to take place on October 15-16.