BRUSSELS — The European Union will open its vast economy to countries waiting to join its ranks, provided they agree to stand with the bloc against hostile states and industrial rivals, according to a draft European Commission proposal obtained by POLITICO. Candidate countries — some of which have been waiting decades to become EU members — will be offered unprecedented "gradual integration" into the single market, including frictionless trade and access to research programs, while their applications are being worked on, according to the draft plan. "The single market is the first priority for economic convergence," reads a review of the "pre-enlargement" benefits to be offered to candidate countries.
"Earlier integration would open opportunities for Union businesses, strengthen European value chains and reduce strategic dependencies. The Commission will identify where verified regulatory alignment and enforcement capacity allow deeper participation in research, innovation and industrial cooperation, and wider market access. Priority should go to opportunities that advance accession preparations and meet shared economic and strategic needs." The review, overseen by top von der Leyen advisor Alexandre Adam — a former aide to French President Emmanuel Macron — would radically overhaul the EU's approach to countries in its neighborhood.
At present, almost all economic benefits of closer cooperation are reserved for members, but no new state has joined since Croatia in 2013. As part of Adam's package of measures, Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and Montenegro will be offered "road maps" designed to speed up the process of joining in the coming years. Others, like North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Turkey, have seen the process drag on — with fears growing that they will become disengaged or gravitate closer to Russia or China.
Under the Commission's plan, economic benefits offered to candidate countries will depend on their support for the EU's foreign policy objectives, with single market access depending on them not sharing key technologies with hostile states and trade rivals. "As industrial and market integration deepens, participation in sensitive sectors must be accompanied by cooperation on investment screening, export controls, sanctions implementation and the protection of sensitive technologies," the review document reads. "Assessments of access should consider strategic alignment, critical dependencies and the capacity to manage risks to infrastructure and supply chains.
Where those conditions are not met, the scope of participation should be adjusted under the applicable instrument." Among the areas being considered for closer cooperation are semiconductors, quantum technologies, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and space. Von der Leyen touches down in Albania for talks on Wednesday as part of her tour of the Western Balkans. She'll also visit Kosovo and North Macedonia, which will miss out on an expedited pathway to join the EU under the new plan, and will use her visit to demand economic benefits of closer alignment.
"Gradual integration should be tangible for our citizens and businesses," Kosovo's prime minister, Albin Kurti, told POLITICO. "We want greater access to the EU single market, European funding and financial schemes, and joint programs in areas such as energy, digitalization, research, education and infrastructure." "We support gradual integration, but it must be a pathway to full EU membership, not a parallel process or a substitute for it. Kosova is ready to do its part," Kurti added.
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