Comment — EU weighs including Albania and Montenegro in EU institutions before accession

Countries such as Albania and Montenegro could send a commissioner to Brussels before formally joining the European Union, under new plans being considered by the European Commission, Magnus Lund Nielsen and Eddy Wax write.

Senior EU officials are considering raising the level of involvement of candidate countries during the final phase of the accession process, according to draft documents obtained by Rapporteur.

The idea would offer candidate countries greater involvement after they sign the accession treaty, but before national ratification by all 27 EU member states is complete — a process that can take years.

“Now, with the changing political climate in Europe, it is entirely reasonable to expect this period to be longer,” said Steven Blockmans, deputy director of the International Centre for Defence and Security in Tallinn.

“The whole idea is for this period to be extended, since in previous enlargement rounds it was quite limited,” he added.

The documents suggest that the new commissioner could take part in meetings of the College of Commissioners and contribute to drafting EU legislation, a right so far reserved for officials of member states.

“The Commission considers it appropriate to examine whether an acceding state may also appoint a commissioner during this period,” an internal Commission document states.

“Such a commissioner could participate in the work of the College on relevant matters, while fully preserving the autonomy, collegiality and collective responsibility of the College,” the document continues.

If a commissioner were to take office in the Berlaymont building before his country’s formal EU accession, it would be a historic development.

As in previous enlargement rounds, once a candidate country has signed the accession treaty, it can also send observers to the European Parliament.

The European Commission is also considering involving candidate countries in EU institutions at an earlier stage, after accession negotiations have formally concluded.

At that stage, countries could send observers — potentially even their leaders — to the European Council, the EU’s highest political decision-making institution.

Speeding up gradual integration

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen yesterday began a Western Balkans tour in Tirana, as the Commission prepares a broader offer to bring aspiring countries closer to the EU before full membership.

The Commission is expected to offer candidate countries gradually deeper integration into the single market, as they implement the domestic reforms required for accession.

Candidate countries would be gradually included in a range of EU programmes and schemes, including the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the Horizon research programme, the emissions trading system, digital public services, cybersecurity initiatives and the IPCIEs, EU-backed projects aimed at fostering major strategic investment in areas such as technology and energy.