Integration: The EU is examining the plan — Albania could have commissioners in Brussels before membership

Albania and Montenegro could appoint a commissioner in Brussels even before they officially become member states of the European Union. This is one of the ideas the European Commission is examining within the framework of the new enlargement strategy, according to an exclusive report by “The Rapporteur”, based on internal documents of the institution.

According to the report, the proposal aims to give candidate countries a greater role during the period between the signing of the accession treaty and its ratification by all 27 EU member states, a process that can take years.

The documents cited by The Rapporteur envisage that the candidate state would have the opportunity to appoint a commissioner, who would take part in the meetings of the College of Commissioners and contribute to discussions on European legislation, while the autonomy and collegial responsibility of the Commission would be preserved. If approved, this would be the first time that a candidate country would have a commissioner in Brussels before full membership of the European Union.

The report also stresses that the Commission is examining the possibility that, after the conclusion of the accession negotiations, candidate countries could also send observers to the European Council, where the leaders of the member states meet.

According to the documents, candidate countries would also be gradually included in a series of EU programmes, including the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the Horizon research programme, the emissions market, public digital services, cybersecurity initiatives and European strategic projects in technology and energy.

The report comes a day after the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visited Tirana where, during a joint conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama, she announced that on October 6 the European Commission will present the review of the enlargement policy. In her speech, von der Leyen stressed that the EU is preparing for the admission of new members by drafting “roadmaps” for the countries that have made the most progress, among them Albania, to determine the steps and deadlines towards membership.

The full article by “The Rapporteur”: Countries such as Montenegro and Albania could send a commissioner to Brussels before they officially join the EU, according to new plans being examined by the European Commission. Senior EU officials are examining the possibility of raising the level of involvement of new member countries during the final phase of their journey towards membership of the bloc, according to draft documents obtained by Rapporteur.

The idea would offer candidate countries greater involvement after they have signed the accession treaty, but before all 27 member countries complete national ratification — a process that could take years. “With the changing political climate across Europe, it is entirely reasonable to expect that this period will be longer”, said Steven Blockmans, deputy director of the International Centre for Defence and Security in Tallinn. “The whole purpose is prolonging this period, which in previous rounds of enlargement was relatively short.”

The documents suggest that the new commissioner could, from that stage, take part in the meetings of the College of Commissioners and contribute to the drafting of EU legislation, a right that until now has been reserved for officials from member states. “The Commission considers it appropriate to examine whether an acceding state can also appoint a Commissioner during this period”, an internal Commission document states. “Such a commissioner could take part in the work of the College on relevant matters, while fully preserving the autonomy, collegial character and collective responsibility of the College”, the document states.

The appointment of a commissioner who would take office in the Berlaymont building, before his country had officially joined the EU, would be a historic novelty. As in previous rounds of enlargement, once a candidate country has signed the accession treaty, it would also be able to send observers to the European Parliament.

The Commission is also examining the possibility of giving candidate countries a certain level of institutional involvement at an even earlier stage, once the accession negotiations have officially concluded. At this stage, the countries could send observers — potentially even their national leaders — to the EU’s highest political decision-making institution, the European Council.

Accelerating “gradual integration”: Ursula von der Leyen began a Western Balkans tour in Tirana on Wednesday, while the Commission is preparing a broader offer to bring aspiring countries closer to the bloc, before full membership. The Commission is expected to offer candidate countries progressive and ever deeper integration into the single market, as they implement the domestic reforms required for membership. Candidates would gradually be included in a series of EU programmes and schemes, including the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the Horizon research programme, the emissions trading system, public digital services, cybersecurity initiatives and IPCEIs — EU-backed projects designed to support major strategic investments in areas such as technology and energy. “Security and defence must be among the top priorities for deeper gradual integration”, a Commission document states.