The European Commission is preparing to adopt its annual Enlargement Package, which assesses progress in all candidate countries and recommends decisions for the European Council in December. Looking at the two frontrunners, Albania has accelerated its accession talks at record speed, and Montenegro has advanced so far in the process that the EU Council is discussing the formation of a working group on an EU accession treaty with that country under the Danish EU Presidency. These developments are reminders that all member states – including Germany, should take EU enlargement more seriously as key decision will come to the table in the coming year. The topic also has implications for internal EU policy debates, such as those related to the EU’s next seven-year budget (2028–2035).
Meanwhile, a recent Eurobarometer survey found that public support of further enlargement is not very high across the EU and will remain volatile and dependent on reform progress on key issues such as rule of law, organized crime, and uncontrolled migration. In Germany, 49 percent of respondents are in favor of further EU enlargement – below the EU average of 56 percent.
This podium discussion will assess the sustainability and credibility of fast-paced enlargement reform in the frontrunner countries and provide an outlook on the dynamics of EU enlargement hurdles and expectations for next 12 months. The panel will also reflect on the two Eastern candidates (Ukraine, Moldova) and explore what is expected of Germany as a key EU member state in shaping and driving the enlargement debate in this period – on both the national and EU level.
Speakers:
Biljana Papović, State Secretary at the Ministry for European Affairs of Montenegro
Peter Beyer, Member of the Bundestag (CDU/CSU), EU Affairs Committee, Rapporteur on the Western Balkans for CDU/CSU Caucasus
Thomas Hagleitner, Head of Unit for Enlargement Strategy and Coordination at DG ENEST, European Commission
Milan Nič, Senior Fellow, Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, DGAP
Moderator:
Nikola Xaviereff, Project Manager, Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, DGAP
It will be held in English.
Please register for the event here: events@dgap.org