What changes does the EU need and why it matters for Ukraine
For decades, the European Union’s enlargement policy has been one of its most effective geopolitical tools. Through it, the EU has consistently strengthened its role on the global stage while expanding its economic and political reach.
Since the early 2000s, however, this policy has gradually entered a phase of stagnation.
Read more about why the EU needs to reform its enlargement policy and what this reform should look like im the column by economist Oleksandra Bulana: A challenge not only for Ukraine: why the EU’s enlargement policy requires reform.
According to Bulana, there are several reasons why the EU’s enlargement policy is stalling:
First, from a technical perspective, accession to the EU has become significantly more complicated.
For example, during the accession of the EU’s eastern neighbours (in 2004–2007), chapters 23 and 24, now central in the current enlargement methodology, didn’t even exist.
Second, as the number of EU member states has increased while maintaining the unanimity rule in decision-making, internal EU decision-making has become considerably more difficult.
Third, EU member states have increasingly used enlargement policy to pursue their own political interests vis-à-vis candidate countries – often on issues unrelated to EU accession.
Bulana reminds readers that the need for internal EU reform has been raised repeatedly in expert discussions since Ukraine submitted its application for membership.
In June 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also addressed this issue in a speech to the European Parliament, pointing our that the EU cannot withstand another wave of enlargement without reform, including changes to the EU Treaty itself.
According to Bulana, an ideal reform of the EU should include:
Institutional reform. The current system, where each member state appoints its own commissioner, is already highly bureaucratic. If the number of members exceeds 30, this administrative model will become even more disproportionate and ineffective.
Decision-making reform. The EU should increasingly use the qualified majority rule for decisions, reserving the unanimity requirement only for fundamental issues.
Budget reform. The accession of new countries will require significant investment to equalise social and economic development levels. This implies the need to reassess both the sources of the EU budget and the principles of fund distribution.
Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. Each wave of enlargement has traditionally been accompanied by such a reform. Given the concerns surrounding Ukraine’s farming sector, the country is unlikely to be accepted as a full member without it.
The author emphasises that Ukraine urgently needs strong advocacy for its interests within the EU, calling on civil society, experts and academics to seize every opportunity to do so.
"For Ukraine to join, the EU must be brave enough to reform itself and its enlargement policy. As things stand, the current rules effectively block the admission of new members and haven’t yet brought anyone in," Bulana concludes.