The European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) held a heated debate on April 20, 2026, where Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos faced off with MEPs over the speed and conditions of EU enlargement. Kos defended a merit-based approach grounded in reforms and gradual integration, while several MEPs demanded a faster, more geopolitical strategy to bolster EU security and influence.
During the extraordinary sitting chaired by Michael Gahler (EPP), Kos outlined potential accession timelines: Montenegro could join by 2028 and Albania by 2030 if negotiations conclude on time, anchored in strict conditionality. She proposed an enhanced gradual integration model granting sectoral rights—such as access to SEPA, roaming, and growth plans—before full membership, drawing from precedents like Norway or Switzerland. Kos also supported qualified majority voting in foreign policy and a smaller Commission to accommodate enlargement.
MEPs pushed back sharply. Petras Auštrevičius (Renew) and Thijs Reuten (S&D) urged faster geopolitical delivery, while Hilde Vautmans (Renew) and Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA) stressed the need for concrete benefits and clear steps to address public concerns. Andreas Schieder (S&D) called for tighter monitoring of Serbia's government and possible fund reallocation to civil society, while Sebastian Tynkkynen (ECR) questioned EU absorption capacity amid internal reform needs.
The debate reflects ongoing tensions within the EU's enlargement policy. Commissioner Kos's proposals build on her earlier statements, including her November 2025 Enlargement Package presentation to the European Parliament, where she emphasized early integration and no shortcuts. That package, unveiled alongside High Representative Kaja Kallas's call for new members by 2030, framed enlargement as a strategic necessity amid Russia's aggression in Ukraine. President Ursula von der Leyen, in her November 2025 Enlargement Forum address, similarly described enlargement as a peace project and investment in collective security, introducing Growth Plans as concrete policy tools.
More recently, on April 16, 2026, Commissioner Andrius Kubilius urged EU enlargement by 2030, citing Central Europe's role and the Russian threat. The European Medicines Agency also issued a data protection notice on April 7, 2026, for pre-accession assistance, while the EEAS pressed North Macedonia on public administration reforms on March 30, 2026.
Key policy cleavages in the AFET debate included the balance between strict conditionality and flexible support, gradual sectoral integration versus traditional full membership, and institutional reform versus maintaining unanimity. Kos's approach leans toward strengthening EU powers through post-accession safeguards and qualified majority voting, while several MEPs emphasized national sovereignty and cautious timing.
Stakeholders most impacted include EU candidate countries (whose timelines and conditionalities are at stake), national authorities (considering treaty changes), EU taxpayers (facing budgetary implications), and civil society in candidate countries (potential beneficiaries of redirected funds). Potential material impacts include a more structured, sector-based integration model accelerating benefits for candidates but requiring stronger monitoring, increasing administrative burdens.
Looking ahead, the European Commission may further develop the enhanced gradual integration framework and push for institutional reforms, while national governments and the European Parliament will balance enlargement ambition with political feasibility, potentially leading to intense treaty discussions. The debate highlighted a fundamental tension between geopolitical urgency and the traditional reform-focused accession process aimed at safeguarding EU standards.