In January 2023, on the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty, the French and German Ministers for Europe, Anna Lührmann and Laurence Boone, invited 12 independent experts to form a working group on EU institutional reforms. Their mandate: to develop ideas on how the EU can be prepared for the accession of future Member States. One of CEPS’ inhouse researchers, Sophia Russack, a member of the Institutions Unit, was a part of this group.
After several months of deliberation, ‘The Group of Twelve’ submitted the results of its work in September 2023 and presented their recommendations to all 27 Ministers for European Affairs in the General Affairs Council.
The report is based on two observations. First, the accession of new member states is a geostrategic imperative, and the continent’s stability and ensuring the EU’s security (as well as the candidate countries) requires rapid progress. Second, the EU itself is not yet ready to welcome new members. The institutions and decision-making mechanisms were not designed for a group of up to 37 countries – they already make it difficult for the EU27 to effectively manage crises and make strategic decisions.
The report’s recommendations aim to achieve three goals: increasing the EU’s capacity to act, getting the EU enlargement ready, and strengthening the rule of law and the EU’s democratic legitimacy. It recommends a flexible EU reform and enlargement process and highlights the need for immediate action to improve the EU’s functionality, proposing a list of initial steps before the next European elections. More substantial reforms should be implemented during the new legislative term (2024 to 2029), including preparations for treaty revisions.
The reform debate has definitely started. Further upcoming milestones include the informal European Council meeting in Grenada in October 2023 and the December 2023 formal meeting in Brussels, with the agenda likely including discussions on reform and enlargement.
‘The European Union must prepare for enlargement. We need to carry out the necessary internal reforms in the EU during the next legislative term. The EU must improve its ability to act, particularly with a view to the accession of new members. The report provides major input for this. It contains reform proposals that are both ambitious and pragmatic,‘ commented Anna Lührmann.
‘A big thank you to [the group] for their proposals, which will further advance our thinking for a stronger and more democratic way of life,’ Laurence Boone responded.
The group’s report – ‘Sailing on High Seas – Reforming and Enlarging the EU for the 21st Century’ – has received widespread attention and has been picked up by numerous international media outlets, including The Financial Times, Politico, Handelsblatt, Tagesschau, Le Monde, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Euractiv and FAZ.
Read the full report here
