European Commission proposes gradual integration of new members in EU enlargement process

The European Commission on Wednesday published an official communication on EU enlargement and the necessary internal reforms of the European Union, in which, among other things, it recommended a gradual integration of new members into the community before they join officially. 

As reported by the EC press service, this communication is the first step towards the inevitable reforms of the EU to prepare it for enlargement, the Commission said. 

The document looks at the implications of EU enlargement in four main areas – values, policies, budget and governance – and lays the groundwork for internal EU reform before the enlargement.

Apart from that, the European Commission seems to have removed Olivér Várhelyi,  the Hungarian Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, from the development of this issue. 

When presenting a new policy or legislative proposal, the EC usually quotes a statement from the rapporteur commissioner or several commissioners co-responsible for the subject, and this is the case this time. 

However, despite the fact that the issue of enlargement generally falls within the competence of Commissioner Várhelyi, the European Commission's press release does not mention him, instead mentioning only Slovak Vice President Maroš Šefčovič, whose responsibilities include institutional relations in the EU and development forecasting. 

"Enlargement is a geostrategic investment that increases the EU's political and economic weight on the world stage. It consolidates democracy across the continent and strengthens the competitiveness of the Single Market, for example, by reducing critical external dependence. 

But in order to take full advantage of this geopolitical investment, both the EU and future member states need to be well prepared," Šefčovič said. 

In the document, the Commission insists that states seeking accession must be well prepared, and the accession process must remain merit-based. 

The Commission has advocated the gradual integration of candidate countries long before they join the EU. The enlargement process will offer "candidate countries and potential candidates enhanced avenues for ‘gradual integration’ of enlargement countries into selected EU policies, already before their accession, by frontloading certain benefits and obligations of EU membership," the document says. 

However, the Commission stresses that full membership will require "full adherence to a single comprehensive set of rights and obligations". 

Among the proposed reforms, the Commission recommends moving from a unanimity requirement to a qualified majority vote in certain areas of foreign and security policy. 

The Commission believes that "EU’s governance can be swiftly improved by using to the full the potential of the current Treaties, such as ‘passerelle clauses’ 2 allowing for a shift from unanimity to qualified majority voting within the Council in key areas".

The document also emphasises that the EU must maintain unwavering respect for the EU's core values and continue to apply them when accepting new members. 

With regard to the budget, the Commission points out that future EU spending programmes should be designed with enlargement in mind. At the same time, the exact financial implications of enlargement will primarily depend on its timing, angle and the outcome of the merit-based accession negotiations. 

Some EU capitals were nervous about this document, as they did not want the enlargement issue to be given much attention before the European elections in June.