EU enlargement is a priority on its political agenda, even if it is not yet ready. It was against this background that the French and German governments set up a group of experts in January 2023 on the institutional reforms of the EU. In September 2023, the “Group of Twelve” presented the conclusions of its work, which are the subject of this report.
This report recommends flexible reforms and procedures for EU enlargement. It stresses the need to take steps now to improve its functioning, proposing an initial list of actions to be taken before the next European elections. More far-reaching reforms (including preparations for treaty revision) should then be implemented in the new legislature (2024-2029).
The recommendations in this report have three objectives: to increase the EU’s capacity to act, to prepare it for enlargement, and to strengthen the rule of law and the democratic legitimacy of the EU. The report is divided into three main sections dealing respectively with the rule of law, institutional reforms and the way forward for reforming, deepening and enlarging the EU.
