The European Union is drawing up separate accession roadmaps for Ukraine, as well as for Moldova, Montenegro and Albania. The European Commission plans to set out in these documents the necessary reforms, the expected outcomes and indicative timelines for the completion of each stage of the negotiations. The plans are intended to make the path to membership more predictable, but will not set a guaranteed date for accession.
Briefly about the main points
- The EU is drawing up a tailored accession plan for Ukraine.
- The document will link the stages of the negotiations to the implementation of reforms.
- The deadlines will be indicative rather than binding.
- Ukraine is already in negotiations regarding two clusters.
The plans are intended to bring certainty to the negotiation process
According to Politico, the roadmaps will set out in detail the reforms that each country is required to complete, and the benchmarks against which the EU will assess progress. They will also set out a tentative timetable for the conclusion of individual negotiation clusters.
A European Commission spokesperson described the forthcoming documents as a «clear list of priorities, deadlines and deliverables» required of the most advanced candidate countries to complete their reforms. The aim is to reduce uncertainty regarding the enlargement timetable for countries that are meeting the EU’s conditions.
Ukraine is already in negotiations regarding two clusters
Ukraine submitted its application for membership in February 2022, was granted candidate status in June of that year, and formal negotiations began in June 2024. Following the completion of the screening of EU legislation in June 2026, the first round of negotiations began cluster — «Fundamentals», which include the rule of law, democratic institutions, public administration reform and economic criteria.
Negotiations on the «External Relations» cluster began in July. The new roadmap is intended to clarify the sequence of the next steps: the transition between stages will be linked to specific reforms and the fulfilment of defined criteria.
Admission procedure remains unchanged. Decisions on key stages of the negotiations require the support of EU Member States, and any final progress will depend on Ukraine’s fulfilment of the established requirements.
At the same time, the EU is preparing its policy for a new round of enlargement
At this initial stage, there are no plans to draw up similar roadmaps for North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Georgia and Turkey.
At the same time, the European Union is working on a broader reform of its pre-enlargement policy. One option envisages the gradual integration of candidate countries into the single market and certain EU programmes even before they acquire full membership. Further proposals on preparing the Union for future enlargement are due to be discussed in Brussels during October.
