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REL/ France and Germany: There is no integration without reforms, the process is undone if there are steps back in the rule of law
2026-06-05 11:27:59 / POLITIKË
On the eve of the EU-Western Balkans summit, Germany and France have presented a so-called non-paper, through which they propose the gradual integration of the Western Balkan countries and Moldova into European Union programs and policies.
The aim of this initiative is to accelerate the integration of candidate countries and give a new impetus to reforms.
The Franco-German document, prepared by the cabinets of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, starts from the assessment that enlargement policy needs a new political impulse.
The proposal is expected to be one of the topics of discussion at the EU-Western Balkans summit, taking place today in Tivat, Montenegro.
This is German Chancellor Merz's second initiative regarding enlargement policy, after in May he came up with a proposal for "creative solutions" for countries involved in the EU accession process.
At the same time, this is the first joint initiative of France and Germany, two of the most influential states in the EU, dedicated to the future of the enlargement process.
A non-paper is an informal document used in European diplomatic circles to present new ideas, test positions, or propose solutions, without forcing the party presenting it to take a formal position.
The six Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro have been seeking EU membership for many years, but have yet to meet the necessary conditions, according to the bloc.
Each country is at a different stage of the accession process, but Montenegro and Albania are much further along this journey.
Meanwhile, Kosovo is still the only country in the region that does not even have candidate country status.
What does the Franco-German proposal contain?
The proposed Franco-German approach is based on the gradual integration of candidate countries into European policies and institutions, while maintaining the principle that progress depends on the results of reforms.
According to the document, the aim of the initiative is to simplify the current negotiation process, reduce procedural obstacles and enable the faster opening of negotiation chapters, when there are recommendations from the European Commission for this.
The authors of the document emphasize that the proposed model is not a substitute for full membership nor an extension of the membership process, but an effort to accelerate reforms and enable citizens of candidate countries to feel concrete benefits from European integration even before formal accession to the EU.
According to the Franco-German proposal, greater focus should be placed on the content of the reforms and less on procedural steps.
The document proposes the creation of a special pre-accession strategy, which would provide candidate countries with more concrete benefits even before full membership.
The envisaged mechanisms would be linked to progress in reforms, but would remain reversible in the event of a setback in the area of the rule of law or deviation from the fundamental values of the EU.
The European Commission is asked to prepare proposals that would facilitate such gradual integration.
Among the concrete proposals is the provision of privileged access to the EU common market, as well as the gradual inclusion of representatives of candidate countries in the work of European institutions, through observer status at certain meetings.
The highest level of gradual integration is referred to as full participation in the common market, according to the model of an enlarged European Economic Area, provided that the candidate country adopts and implements European legislation in key areas of negotiations and temporarily closes the relevant negotiation chapters.
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