EU moving toward enlargement, Albania prepares for the roadmap

The European Commission today formalised the “Policy Reviews ahead of Enlargement”, defining the framework of internal institutional reforms, governance and safeguard mechanisms that will accompany the next wave of European Union enlargement.

This strategic document comes after the recent visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Tirana and consolidates Albania’s position as one of the leading countries in the enlargement process.

The document confirms that the EU’s internal reforms and the progress of candidate countries will move in parallel, providing for the inclusion of a specific roadmap for Albania’s membership in the 2026 Enlargement Package.

The comprehensive review emphasises that the European Union’s existing policies do not require a complete structural reconception to include new members.

The EU is implementing the principle of “Integration by Design”, including enlargement scenarios from the drafting stage of future policies and of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034.

This approach aims to preserve the Union’s ability to act and to strengthen the role of enlargement in guaranteeing European security and stability.

At the focus of the document are three main reform elements:

First, the review of the Article 7 mechanism for very serious breaches of the rule of law. Instead of the current threshold of four-fifths of members to suspend voting rights in the Council, the European Commission proposes applying a “reverse qualified majority” (Reverse QMV). Under this mechanism, the Commission’s decision to impose sanctions would enter into force automatically, except in cases where member states form the necessary majority to overturn it. The aim is for the protection of European values to become more efficient and the mechanism easier to apply.

Second, the establishment of strict financial guarantees. The document proposes freezing or limiting new Union funds in cases where a member or candidate country breaches the commitments undertaken or does not respect the principles of the rule of law.

Third, the definition of rules on the rights of new members. Countries that join will enjoy rights fully equal to the current 27 members, including the right to have a commissioner and the right of veto in decision-making.

However, the possibility is envisaged for new members to voluntarily commit not to use the veto on issues relating to bilateral disputes in the context of enlargement, preventing the process from being blocked because of such disputes.

The new framework also supports the merit-based “Gradual Integration” model, which enables Albania progressive access to key EU sectors and programmes before full membership. This model envisages accelerated integration in areas such as cybersecurity, military mobility, the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and trans-European energy networks, bringing tangible economic and infrastructure benefits.

The European Commission document assesses the strategic support for enlargement as an investment with benefits in relation to costs for EU citizens. It emphasises that bringing closer the countries that have progressed most in the process, such as Montenegro and Albania, will contribute to strengthening security and stability through the expansion of the European market and space.

This policy review constitutes a strong political signal of the European Union’s support for Albania’s progress toward the strategic objective “Albania 2030”.

Reforms and national consensus remain essential for membership in the European family.

Albania is fully determined to continue the work with the same will and commitment to fulfil all criteria and realise the historic mission of full membership in the European Union within this decade. /Monitor.al/