EU Commission unveils accession roadmaps for Ukraine and three other candidates

The roadmaps are part of the Commission's annual enlargement package, which assesses candidate countries' progress and identifies reforms needed to advance toward membership.

The four countries were selected because of their progress in accession negotiations over the past year, the Commission said. The roadmaps set out indicative milestones for 2027 and may be adjusted depending on each country's progress.

Ukraine's progress

The Commission confirmed that Ukraine had met the conditions needed to open all remaining negotiating clusters, having already opened four over the past year despite Russia's full-scale invasion.

It also gave a positive assessment of Ukraine's anti-corruption framework.

“Ukraine's institutional framework for combating corruption remains effective, with specialised anti-corruption institutions continuing to operate overall independently and effectively,” the Commission said.

However, it urged Kyiv to accelerate reforms concerning the rule of law, democratic institutions, public administration and national minority rights.

The Commission said further progress was essential for Ukraine to meet its own ambitious goal of concluding accession negotiations by the end of 2028.

Completing negotiations would not automatically make Ukraine an EU member. Accession would still require further decisions and approval by EU member states.

Other candidates

Montenegro remains the most advanced candidate, having provisionally closed 21 negotiating chapters. The Commission said the country could close the remaining chapters by the end of 2026, subject to agreement among EU member states.

Albania aims to conclude negotiations by 2027, while Moldova is pursuing a target of early 2028. The Commission described both objectives as ambitious but achievable if reforms continue.

The enlargement package also assessed other candidates. It found no substantive progress in Serbia's accession negotiations, described Georgia's accession process as effectively halted and said Türkiye's negotiations remained at a standstill.

What happens next

The Commission also proposed a framework for gradually integrating candidate countries into EU policies and programs before they become members, particularly in energy, transport, digital technologies and defense.

The EU Council will now consider the Commission's recommendations and decide on the next steps in the enlargement process.