Germany and France propose early EU benefits for Balkan and Moldovan candidates
EU candidates in the Western Balkans and Moldova could gain access to EU programmes and the single market before full membership. A Franco-German paper proposes gradual, merit-based integration, including seats at some EU ministerial meetings without voting rights. EU-Balkans sum
EU candidate countries in the Western Balkans and Moldova may not have to wait for full membership to feel concrete benefits. Germany and France have circulated a joint paper proposing what they call structured gradual integration: candidates would get more opportunities to join EU programmes and access the single market before accession, according to reporting by Reuters and Euronews. The paper also raises the possibility of letting representatives of Western Balkan countries and Moldova take part in parts of EU ministerial meetings and summits, although without voting rights. The two governments argue that additional incentives within a merit-based process are needed, and that the current accession procedure should be streamlined to allow faster and deeper integration. The timing is deliberate. The proposal lands ahead of a summit between EU and Western Balkan leaders on Friday and another summit with Moldova later this month. Enlargement has moved up the EU agenda since Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine began, with several candidate countries seeking to anchor themselves in the bloc. The next signal comes at Friday's EU-Western Balkans summit, where leaders will respond to the Franco-German push.