A policy document made public on Thursday, June 4th, shows France and Germany proposing to make a more dynamic European Union by inviting potential members into EU programmes and even the single market without completing the accession process.
The paper, seen by Reuters, appears to have been written to support enlargement talks. Brussels and Western Balkan leaders are scheduled to meet on Friday, June 5th, followed by another summit with Moldova later this month. Not to be outdone, even the EU delegation to Azerbaijan has resumed work on a new draft agreement on political dialogue, connectivity, and economic cooperation.
A difficulty for Brussels is that there has been pressure to fast-track Ukrainian membership while West Balkan applicants—not least frontrunner Motenegro—have been locked in years of process-centred negotiations, often forfeiting parts of national sovereignty along the way. The Franco-German proposal involves offering tangible benefits to candidate member countries prior to completing EU accession, or as the authors argue
We must provide additional incentives as part of a merit-based, gradual integration process and streamline the current process to make it more efficient and to allow for faster and deeper integration.
Such pseudo-enlargement could involve participation in EU research and student exchange programmes, while potentially permitting integration in energy, industry, and Brussels’ Emissions Trading System—if the candidate country can meet specific standards (which wouldn’t necessarily be the same as full accession criteria).
This proposal echoes German chancellor Friedrich Merz’s recent unpopular suggestion that Ukraine benefits from a form of Brussels ‘associate membership’ (which neither Ukraine nor many existing EU members seemed keen on).
