2026 Enlargement Package shows that commitment to reform leads to progress towards EU membership

The European Commission today adopted its annual enlargement package, taking stock of the progress made over the past year by the partners involved in the accession process and setting reform priorities for the way ahead. This year's package shows that sustained reform efforts translate into concrete progress towards EU membership, as demonstrated by Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine. All four countries have advanced in their accession negotiations, with clusters opened and chapters provisionally closed at an unprecedented pace. This year the Commission presented the accession financial package for Montenegro, and work on the accession treaty is well under way. Building on this work, and as announced by President von der Leyen in her 2026 State of the Union speech, the Commission is today presenting indicative roadmaps for these four countries, which are the most advanced in accession negotiations, setting concrete milestones for the coming year. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "The significant progress made by some candidate countries over the past year allows us to turn the promise of enlargement into reality. We are now proposing a set of indicative roadmaps for the most advanced countries in accession negotiations -- Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova. A clear path for the year ahead and a solid anchor for the negotiations to come. Step by step, we are building a complete and stronger Union."