EU Must Not Let Challenges Slow Its Enlargement Process

By Luke Coffey

The European Commission on Tuesday published its eagerly awaited “Enlargement Package” report. This report offers the most comprehensive analysis on the state of EU enlargement and the progress, or lack thereof, of the candidate countries.

There are currently 10 countries that are candidates to join the EU: Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Turkiye, and Georgia. Each is progressing at a different speed toward membership. One thing is certain when it comes to adding new members to the EU: there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Since the inception of the European project in 1951, in the form of the European Coal and Steel Community, Europe has used the prospect of adding new members as a way to bring about signi