EU enlargement commissioner outlines three priorities for preparing bloc for new members
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said on 13 October that the European Union must prepare internally for new members, naming stronger democratic safeguards, more flexible decision-making, and gradual integration of candidate countries before accession as the three priorities. She said candidate countries will join the work of the European Centre for Democratic Resilience before membership, and called for transitional mechanisms to protect European farmers as Ukraine's agriculture integrates into the EU common market.
Key points
- EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos spoke ahead of the EU General Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on 13 October 2026.
- Kos named three priorities: stronger safeguards against democratic backsliding, more flexible decision-making, and gradual integration of candidate states before accession.
- She proposed broader use of qualified majority voting as part of more flexible decision-making.
- Candidate countries will be involved in the European Centre for Democratic Resilience before acquiring EU membership.
- Kos called for transition periods to protect European farmers as Ukraine's agricultural sector integrates into the EU common market.
- On 6 October, the European Commission adopted a package of pre-enlargement policy reviews intended to allow the EU to accept new members, including Ukraine.
- EU member states remain divided: some want detailed safeguard mechanisms, others insist on preserving unanimity in decision-making.
Why it matters
Kos's remarks translate the European Commission's 6 October pre-enlargement policy review into a political message for EU member states, with enlargement including Ukraine as the explicit horizon. The three priorities touch the most contested questions in the process — safeguards against democratic backsliding, the shift away from unanimity through qualified majority voting, and the new concept of 'more Europe before membership.' The call for transitional arrangements for Ukrainian agriculture addresses one of the most politically charged issues for several EU member states. Together, the announcements set the agenda for the General Affairs Council meeting and the European Council meeting later in the week.
What happened
Speaking in Luxembourg on 13 October before a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos laid out three priorities for preparing the EU for new members: stronger safeguards against backsliding on democratic norms, more flexible decision-making including broader use of qualified majority voting, and gradual integration of candidate countries before accession. Kos said candidate countries will join the work of the European Centre for Democratic Resilience — which coordinates EU and member-state efforts against foreign information manipulation, interference and disinformation — and described this as an example of 'more Europe before membership,' allowing countries to participate in individual EU subsystems and policies before formal accession. She framed this as relevant to shared challenges with hybrid threats and disinformation. Kos also addressed Ukrainian agriculture, calling for transition mechanisms that protect European farmers as the sector integrates into the EU common market. The statements build on the European Commission's 6 October package of pre-enlargement policy reviews, which was designed to enable the EU to accept new members including Ukraine.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The Ukrainian-language sources — Yevropeiska Pravda, Ukrinform and Suspilne Novyny — all cover Kos's remarks directly for a Ukrainian audience. They highlight two Ukraine-specific threads: the prospect of joining the Centre for Democratic Resilience before formal accession, and the question of transitional arrangements for Ukraine's agricultural sector in the EU common market. The coverage frames the announcements as concrete steps toward Ukraine's eventual EU membership, with the 6 October pre-enlargement policy reviews explicitly tied to accepting Ukraine as a new member.
Where reporting differs
EU member states are divided on enhanced gradual integration. According to Yevropeiska Pravda and Ukrinform, some countries want safeguard mechanisms worked out in more detail, while others insist on preserving the principle of unanimity in EU decision-making. Kos said the discussion will continue at the European Council meeting later in the week.
Background
On 6 October, the European Commission adopted a package of pre-enlargement policy reviews — proposals for policy changes intended to allow the EU to accept new members, including Ukraine. The European Centre for Democratic Resilience was created to coordinate the work of EU institutions and member states in countering threats to democracy, including foreign information manipulation, interference and disinformation.