European Commissioner Marta Kos said on Wednesday that countries seeking access to the Schengen area or the EU single market must undertake reforms comparable to those required for full European Union membership, rejecting proposals for partial integration without meeting core conditions.
“Leaders know very well what entry into Schengen or the single market means, but the question is whether they are ready to do what is necessary,” Kos said, referring to an initiative floated by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
In a joint opinion piece for Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Vučić and Rama argued that slow EU enlargement, internal challenges and geopolitical tensions warrant granting candidate countries access to the bloc’s single market and Schengen area without full membership rights, including voting powers.
Kos dismissed the proposal, saying that access to core EU structures requires “serious and complex reforms” on par with full accession criteria.
Speaking at the “Competitive Europe” summit organised by Politico, Kos also said Ukraine’s ambition to join the EU by 2027 was unrealistic, while noting that Iceland could advance more quickly if it reopens accession talks.
She added that the EU must rethink its enlargement approach and urged member states to put forward concrete proposals, particularly after earlier European Commission ideas failed to gain support.
Kos outlined three possible paths under discussion: maintaining the current model, modifying it to prevent stagnation among candidate countries, or pursuing so-called “reverse enlargement.”
“From initial discussions with member states, it is clear that the third option is not appropriate … it would amount to a real revolution,” she said, adding that maintaining the status quo was also not acceptable.
She described gradual integration as the most viable option, saying it could accelerate the process without bypassing the key reforms required by the EU.