The European Union is considering preparing special roadmaps for the accession of Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and Montenegro, reports “Politico“, citing two high-ranking European Commission officials familiar with the preparations, News.bg reports.
The idea is for the four countries, which are among the most advanced candidates, to receive a clearer and phased plan towards membership. The documents should indicate the specific reforms expected from each country, as well as indicative deadlines for completing the individual stages of the negotiations.
The proposal comes against the backdrop of Brussels' attempts to speed up the enlargement process, which has been ongoing for years for some candidates. The roadmaps will also contain commitments from member states, whose consent is necessary for the negotiations to move forward.
According to the European Commission, Montenegro has already opened all 33 negotiation chapters and has provisionally closed 18 of them by July 2026. Albania is also making significant progress, while Ukraine and Moldova started work on the first negotiation clusters in June.
The negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova are progressing at an accelerated pace. In June, the two countries received the green light to open the “Fundamentals” cluster, which covers the rule of law, the functioning of democratic institutions and fundamental rights. In July, Ukraine and Moldova also opened negotiations on the “External Relations” cluster.
According to information from “Politico“ At this stage, similar roadmaps will not be offered to other candidates who are at an earlier stage of the process - among them Kosovo, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The same applies to Georgia, Turkey and Serbia, where negotiations face various political and institutional obstacles.
A European Commission spokesperson confirmed that the new documents are intended to outline the path to completing the negotiations, setting priorities, deadlines and concrete results that the most advanced candidates must achieve.
However, the roadmaps will not repeal the basic principle of the process - membership remains conditional on the implementation of the necessary reforms and the final agreement of all member states.