Renewing momentum for enlargement is a cornerstone of the strategic vision of the current European Commission (2024–2029). It requires adapting the accession process to today’s unstable geopolitical environment. To that end, the Commission is considering upgrading accession policy to support Ukraine – providing it with a political anchor in the context of a future peace agreement and possibly far-reaching security quarantees – while delivering on the long-term integration promise made to other candidate countries. The Commission is also assessing the impact of future enlargement on key EU policy areas. Meanwhile, a Eurobarometer survey from mid-2025 found that public support for further enlargement is not very high across member states. In Germany, it stood at 49 percent, slightly below the EU average, and is likely to remain fragile given the surge of its Far Right.
This event will feature a keynote address by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. In her remarks and the subsequent discussion, we will examine whether the existing merit-based approach to EU enlargement can keep pace with the geopolitical urgency for Ukraine. We will talk about the precedent that an updated approach would set for frontrunner accession countries Montenegro and Albania, as well as Moldova; and we will explore how to best explain a shifting approach to enlargement to our societies.
Welcoming remarks:
Ambassador Rolf Nikel, Vice President of DGAP
Keynote address:
H.E. Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement since 2024; Former Ambassador of Slovenia to Germany and Latvia (2013-2017)
Moderator:
Stefan Meister, Head of the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, DGAP
Please note that online participation is not possible.