The European Commission wants to accelerate the accession of Montenegro, Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine. The four countries have made enough progress to receive a concrete timeline. Montenegro could become the 28th EU member state as early as 2028.
Brussels has drawn up separate step-by-step plans for the four countries. This brings the expansion of the European Union closer. Actual accession remains dependent on further reforms and the approval of the current 27 EU countries.
Montenegro first
Montenegro is the furthest along. The country can complete its accession negotiations by the end of this year and is expected to sign an accession treaty in June 2027. If the reforms continue, the Commission considers membership in 2028 a realistic goal. The last EU enlargement took place in 2013 when Croatia joined.
Albania follows closely behind. The country aims to complete negotiations in 2027 and could join in 2029. Brussels demands further reforms of the legal system and a stronger fight against corruption and organized crime. The government must also pay more attention to societal criticism.
Ukraine not yet
For Moldova and Ukraine, Brussels has not yet set an accession date. Both countries have carried out important reforms but need to further adjust their legislation and government institutions. According to the new plan, Moldova can complete more than twenty rounds of negotiations by 2027, compared to seven for Ukraine.
Ukraine has made significant progress despite the war, says Brussels. The European Commission praises, among other things, the functioning of the anti-corruption institutions. At the same time, Kiev urgently needs to implement improvements in the judiciary, democratic institutions, public administration, and the protection of minorities. Completing negotiations by 2028 remains an ambitious goal.
Balkans lagging behind
The outlook is less favorable for other candidate countries. Serbia has made little progress. The Commission sees the recent elections as a possible opportunity for a new reform course. North Macedonia still needs to implement necessary constitutional changes, while Bosnia and Herzegovina is lagging behind in political and administrative reforms.
According to Brussels, Georgia is only a candidate country in name. The accession process is effectively stalled due to setbacks in democracy and fundamental rights. Turkey is also moving further away from membership. Ankara rejects European criticism about its rule of law and political developments.
EU countries must now decide on the next steps.
