[Discussion Paper 6] New Approach to EU Enlargement: Applying the Staged Integration Model

Year: 2023

Authors: Dragana Jaćimović, Institute Alternative, Montenegro and Yuliia Shaipova, Centre for Economic Recovery, Ukraine

The enlargement policy of the European Union used to be considered part of its security strategy. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shaken EU decision-makers and brought enlargement policy to the fore, primarily for geopolitical and security-related reasons. It has become evident that, since the current approach does not produce results, the existing accession process needs to be redesigned. In response, an innovative ‘staged integration model’ was developed by experts to optimise the accession process. Can this model address the gaps and shortcomings of the current enlargement methodology and be instrumental in the strategic renewal of the enlargement policy?

As a follow-up to the 2022 ELF publication ‘Staged Integration for Future EU Enlargement’, this paper discusses the potential application of this approach in Montenegro, a long- standing candidate country, while reflecting on the model from the perspective of the most recent EU candidate, Ukraine.