The meeting is primarily intended to discuss the direction of enlargement policy. Both EU leaders and candidate countries are participating. At the same time, the European Commission is presenting its new evaluation reports, which according to Brussels determine how far the countries have progressed with their reforms and alignment with EU rules.
Ukraine and Moldova seem closest to membership. Both countries have candidate status and hope to begin formal negotiations in the coming months. Yet uncertainty remains about when they can actually join, partly due to political blockades within the Union.
Admission of new countries requires the approval of all current member states. To circumvent the political objections of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, procedural workarounds are being developed in Brussels. In this, the other 26 EU countries can agree, and the last (Hungarian) vote is postponed to a future decision.
According to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, enlargement is not only a matter of growth but also of security. The war in Ukraine has brought the EU closer to its neighbors. "A larger Union is a safer Union," she said earlier, thereby expressing support for the eastern candidates.
Serbia receives strong criticism from Brussels. The upcoming report shows that reforms there have stagnated and that the country does not sufficiently distance itself from Russia. Nevertheless, the Serbian government remains committed to EU membership, despite declining support among the population.
The future of Georgia is also being closely monitored. The European Commission is concerned about growing Russian influence and the decline of democratic institutions. Commissioner Marta Kos admitted that Brussels has done too little in the past to combat (Russian) interference (in Georgia) from outside.
A new accession model is being discussed during the summit. This would allow for a trial period during which new members do not yet have full veto rights. Such a ‘two-speed Europe’ aims to prevent the EU from becoming too cumbersome in decision-making, but the idea also meets resistance.
Commissioner Kos previously emphasized that the EU has "learned from past mistakes" and that reforms must go hand in hand with enlargement. The Commission wants to clarify what is expected from candidate countries before they can fully participate in the Union.
Many European leaders see enlargement as an opportunity but also as a risk. A larger Europe demands faster decision-making and fewer blockades. Therefore, the EU is considering adjusting the unanimity rule, so that one country can no longer block the entire process.
Critics also say that the current 27 EU countries still have not learned from Brexit, the departure of the United Kingdom from the EU. They say the EU must first thoroughly modernize its governance model before admitting new countries.