An EU proposal on membership of the Western Balkans under new rules has arrived; Merz's letter published

According to Blic, Friedrich Merz outlined his positions on EU enlargement in a letter sent to António Costa, President of the European Council, Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Council of the European Union, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

Merz reportedly sent the letter to EU officials on Monday.

“Observer status for Western Balkan countries in all relevant EU institutions”

In the letter, as reported by Blic, which claims to have seen the document, Merz stated:

“We must remain firmly committed to our promise that the Western Balkan countries and Moldova can join the European Union, as set out in the Copenhagen criteria and the Thessaloniki Agenda of 2003. Our goal has not changed: completing the European Union by bringing all candidate countries into the Union. I propose that we seek innovative solutions for those candidate countries that have already been preparing for accession for a long time and accelerate their accession process. Together with colleagues, I will continue to work on this.”

He then presented a concrete proposal:

“We could envisage significant steps for these countries on their path to membership, such as privileged access to the single market and closer ties with European institutions in the day-to-day decision-making process—for example, granting observer status to Western Balkan countries in all relevant EU institutions, and holding joint sessions of the European Commission or the European Parliament with representatives of the Western Balkans on issues directly related to the region. Gradual integration could be achieved by building blocks that could serve as the foundation for full implementation of relevant policy areas, followed by increased support in the process of implementing the acquis. In addition, we could further enhance institutional integration based on substantive progress. All of this could bring candidate countries significantly closer to us and thereby encourage new ambition for further reforms needed to achieve full membership,” Merz proposed.

“My goal is to establish a special task force soon”

He also expressed optimism:

“I look forward to discussing these ideas with you and among colleagues in the European Council. My aim would be to reach agreement soon and establish a special task force to work out the details. I am convinced that we will find a common path for both Ukraine and other candidates,” Merz concluded.

At the beginning of the letter, Merz focused on Ukraine’s path toward the EU, stating that enlargement is a geopolitical necessity.

“However, the enlargement process is taking too long. Understandably, this creates frustration among candidate countries—and also among member states. Therefore, I believe we need new momentum for Ukraine, the Western Balkans, and Moldova.”

He added that the EU would not be able to complete accession in the short term due to numerous obstacles and the political complexity of ratification procedures across member states.

“Associate membership” concept

Merz proposed introducing an “associate membership” status for Ukraine as a faster path toward full EU membership, without requiring treaty changes or full ratification under Article 49 of the EU Treaty.

He stressed that this would not be “light membership,” but a deeper form of integration than existing association agreements, designed to accelerate the accession process.

He also suggested that such a status could include participation in EU institutions without voting rights, gradual application of EU law, phased access to EU programs, and closer coordination in foreign and security policy.

A “snap-back mechanism” would also be included in case of backsliding on fundamental EU values such as the rule of law.

Merz emphasized that the proposal is intended as a strong political signal, particularly for Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia, and would not affect other candidate countries, which would continue on their existing accession paths.