EU Considers Reforming Accession Rules to Accelerate Ukraine’s Membership

The European Union is exploring reforms to its enlargement process that could allow Ukraine and other candidate countries to join the bloc more quickly.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Politico, citing diplomatic sources.

Under the emerging proposal, new members would initially join the EU without voting rights, granting them access to most of the bloc’s economic and institutional benefits while postponing full membership privileges until key internal reforms are implemented.

The idea, still at an early stage of discussion, would require approval from all 27 EU member states. According to diplomats, the plan seeks to make enlargement more flexible and less vulnerable to political obstruction, particularly from governments like Hungary’s, which has repeatedly blocked decisions related to Ukraine.

“Future members should be required to waive their right of veto until key institutional reforms – such as the introduction of qualified majority voting in most policy areas – have been implemented,” said Anton Hofreiter, Chairman of the German Bundestag’s Committee on European Affairs. “Enlargement must not be slowed down by individual EU member states blocking reforms.”

This “two-step membership model” would enable candidate countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, and Montenegro to enjoy early access to the single market, development funds, and policy coordination mechanisms, effectively integrating them into Europe’s political and economic space while awaiting full voting rights.

According to Politico, the concept is gaining traction among Western Balkan countries, long frustrated by the slow pace of enlargement. The European Commission is also reportedly considering measures to accelerate the process, including interim decisions that would not require unanimous approval to prevent future vetoes from governments opposed to further expansion.

Ukraine applied for EU membership in February 2022, only days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. In December 2023, the European Council formally opened accession negotiations.

However, progress since then has been slowed by Hungary’s continued resistance, as Budapest has tied its consent to a range of political and bilateral demands. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged European partners to ensure that “no single country can block the will of an entire continent.”

As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine has completed the screening of its legislation with the European Union, which is a key technical step required before formal accession talks can move forward.