Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The new EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, will meet with MEPs on 14 January 2025 to review the progress of ten countries seeking EU membership.
As reported by the press of the EU Parliament, in the first discussion with Marta Kos, since she took office as Commissioner for Enlargement on 1 December 2024, MEPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee will evaluate the state of play in the ten enlargement nations and their progress in executing EU-related reforms.
In total, the European Parliament each year submits resolutions related to the reports on the Enlargement Package, which gives holistically an opinion on the state of affairs in the most difficult challenges and provides further development advice in candidate and potential candidate states on their path towards Europe.
How are the ten candidate countries doing on enlargement?
EU enlargement talks gained pace in 2025 as Ukraine and Moldova progressed without obstacles through the screening process following the opening of accession negotiations in June 2024. The Western Balkans continue to move forward, with Montenegro approaching the closure of more negotiating chapters, Albania opening the fundamentals cluster, North Macedonia completing its screening, and Bosnia and Herzegovina starting accession negotiations. Georgia, accorded candidate status in December 2023, is also advancing on the path. While Turkey’s candidacy remains on hold because of governance issues, the EU deems enlargement to be a “geopolitical imperative” under the tense current international environment.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos will focus on merit-based accession – democracy, the rule of law, and core values – trying to bring at least one country to the “finish line” in her mandate. The process shows a fine line between the EU’s strategic interest and the substantial reforms that countries need to be ready for the accession process.
