German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed granting Ukraine “associate member status” which would allow the country to “take a major step by moving immediately closer to full membership” and to “facilitate the ongoing peace negotiations as part of a negotiated settlement”. He also suggested that “innovative solutions” should be applied in order to advance the integration of the Western Balkans, by offering them observer status and privileged access to the single market.
“My proposal reflects Ukraine's particular situation, a country at war. It will help facilitate the ongoing peace talks as part of a negotiated peace solution. This is essential not only for Ukraine’s but for the entire continent’s security”, the Chancellor says in a letter dated 18 May and addressed to the President of the European Council, António Costa, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Cypriot President, Nikos Christodoulides, whose country holds the Presidency of Council of the EU, according to a letter seen by Agence Europe.
Given that the accession process will not be completed “in short term”, Friedrich Merz’s proposals would allow Ukraine to “take a major step by moving immediately closer to full membership”, while the “traditional” accession procedure would continue with a view to achieving “formal accession as quickly as possible”. Mr Merz also calls for all negotiating clusters to be opened “without delay”.
The “associate Member State” status could include the right to take part in meetings of the European Council and the EU Council without voting rights. Ukraine could also become an “associate member of the Commission”, without a portfolio or voting rights, and have “associate members in the European Parliament”, likewise without voting rights. Ukraine would not “immediately” benefit from the EU budget; however, programmes under direct management could be applied gradually, depending on progress in the accession negotiations and with safeguard clauses.
This would also require “full alignment” by Ukraine with EU common foreign and security policy, while a “political commitment” by the Member States to apply Article 42.7 of Treaty on European Union to Ukraine would also be necessary “in order to create a substantial security guarantee”. In the event of backsliding on EU fundamental values or structural regression in the accession negotiations, a “snap-back mechanism” or, alternatively, a “sunset clause” would be provided for.
Friedrich Merz argues that “associate member status” would require neither ratification of an accession treaty nor “any amendment to the Treaties”, but simply “a strong political agreement”.
As regards the Western Balkans and Moldova, the German Chancellor says that the EU “must remain firm” in its promise to allow them to join the Union. He suggests “considering innovative solutions also for these candidate countries” in order “to accelerate their accession process”, notably through “privileged access to the internal market and closer ties with the European institutions in the day-to-day decision-making process”. This would include “granting observer status to the Western Balkan countries in all relevant EU institutions” as well as “organising joint sessions of the European Commission or the European Parliament with representatives of the Western Balkan countries on issues directly related to the region”.
“We received Chancellor Merz’s letter today”, a senior European diplomatic source explained, not ruling out the possibility that European leaders may discuss enlargement issues at their summit in Brussels.
On the European Commission side, it encouraged this discussion to continue “at European Council level”, a spokesperson told Agence Europe, stressing that “any innovative solution should be guided by a merit-based process”.
On Tuesday 26 May, the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council was planning to convene an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) with Albania to mark the fulfilment of the interim benchmarks relating to the fundamentals chapters, which would pave the way for the closure of certain negotiating clusters. According to a senior European diplomat, the Presidency still hopes to be able to convene, in June, an IGC aimed at opening the fundamentals clusters with Ukraine and Moldova. (Original version in French by Ana Pisonero Hernández)