Becke , Pe e ; Lippe , Ba ba a
Resea ch Repo
Acceding coun ies' g adual in eg a ion in o he EU single
ma ke : P e equisi es, oppo uni ies and hu dles
SWP Commen , No. 42/2024
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
S i ung Wissenscha und Poli ik (SWP), Ge man Ins i u e o In e na ional and Secu i y A ai s,
Be lin
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Becke , Pe e ; Lippe , Ba ba a (2024) : Acceding coun ies' g adual in eg a ion
in o he EU single ma ke : P e equisi es, oppo uni ies and hu dles, SWP Commen , No. 42/2024,
S i ung Wissenscha und Poli ik (SWP), Be lin,
h ps://doi.o g/10.18449/2024C42
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NO.
42
SEPTEMBER 2024
In oduc ion
Acceding Coun ies’ G adual In eg a ion
in o he EU Single Ma ke
P e equisi es, Oppo uni ies and Hu dles
Pe e Becke and Ba ba a Lippe
Since 25 June 2024, he 27 membe s a es o he Eu opean Union (EU) ha e been
engaging in accession nego ia ions wi h Uk aine and Moldo a. The EU wan s and needs
o p o ide a s a egic esponse o new geopoli ical challenges, especially he Russian
wa o agg ession agains Uk aine. A he same ime, i in ends o accele a e al eady
ough nego ia ions wi h he coun ies o he Wes e n Balkans. Indeed, new p oposals
a e aiming o g adually in eg a e candida e and acceding coun ies in o speci ic policy
a eas o he EU. Accession nego ia ions egula ly ocus on hese coun ies’ in eg a-
ion in o he highly egula ed Eu opean single ma ke , and hus hei adop ion o he
EU’s acquis communau ai e wi h ega d o he ee mo emen o people, goods, se ices
and capi al. Whe he he EU’s o e o hese coun y’s g adual in eg a ion in o he
EU single ma ke spa ks momen um depends on how bo h sides weigh expec ed cos s
and bene i s, and whe he i is possible o de elop conc e e measu es and ime ables
o implemen a ion.
In o de o ea i m he p ospec o acces-
sion and accele a e co esponding nego-
ia ions, he EU has p omised o g adually
in eg a e he six non-EU Wes e n Balkan
coun ies o Albania, Bosnia and He ze-
go ina, Koso o, Mon eneg o, No h Mace-
donia, and Se bia (also known as he WB-6),
as well as Uk aine, Moldo a and Geo gia
in o selec policy a eas. Two main elemen s
o he EU’s enla gemen s a egy, which was
e ised in 2020, will emain unchanged.
Fi s , he 33 nego ia ing chap e s will s ill
be nes ed unde six hema ic clus e s, he
i s o which comp ises he undamen al
poli ical c i e ia ( undamen als) ha a e
add essed a bo h he beginning and end
o he nego ia ions. Second, and ein o ced
by he i s , he EU wan s o con inue
o ensu e ha he pace o nego ia ions is
s ic ly condi ional on he coun ies’ ack
eco ds in good go e nance and o e all
pe o mance wi h espec o he acquis. I is
hoped ha hese p ocesses gain momen um
h ough his so-called g adual in eg a ion
app oach. The Eu opean Commission lis s
he EU single ma ke as he i s and mos
impo an sec o ha could be conside ed
o his new app oach. Acco dingly, indi-
idual candida es could be able o pa ici-
pa e in and bene i om a leas pa ial
SWP Commen 42
Sep embe 2024
2
in eg a ion in o he EU’s economic co e
e en be o e hei accession. A he same
ime, howe e , he obliga ions o EU mem-
be ship would also become angible, no
leas wi h ega d o EU adminis a i e p o-
cedu es. To be g adually in eg a ed in o he
single ma ke , i is pa icula ly essen ial
ha candida es adop he EU’s body o law,
igh s and obliga ions wi hou es ic ion.
Unde no ci cums ances should hey be
able o choose hei EU à la ca e.
The pa ial in eg a ion o hi d coun ies
in o EU egula ions is no hing new and
has always been p ac ised wi hin he ame-
wo k o associa ion ela ionships. Ne e he-
less, he e a e some speci ic challenges and
ques ions o bo h sides in he con ex o
he accession p ocesses:
a) Those who wan o pa icipa e in he
single ma ke mus s ill ul il demanding
condi ions o accede; so how can g adual
in eg a ion be o ganised in such a way ha
he candida e coun ies adop he acquis
mo e e ec i ely and quickly han be o e?
b) G adual in eg a ion should quickly
p oduce angible bene i s o acceding
coun ies; how hen, can he EU ensu e ha
his happens, as he Eu opean Council pu s
i , “in a e e sible and me i -based manne ”
as a condi ion o enla gemen ?
c) Does g adual in eg a ion weaken
Clus e 1’s poli ical equi emen s, o does
i c ea e new incen i es o hese coun ies
o ul il he condi ions mo e quickly?
d) How can g adual in eg a ion and
accession nego ia ions be in e linked in
such a way ha accele a es he nego ia-
ions?
The EU does no ye ha e answe s o
hese ques ions. By pu suing he g adual
in eg a ion app oach, he EU is en e ing a
lea ning p ocess, he success o which will
ul ima ely de e mine he o e all c edibili y
o i s enla gemen policy.
The equi emen s o
single ma ke in eg a ion
Fo he candida es, g adual and ea ly in e-
g a ion in o he Eu opean single ma ke is a
key goal. Inclusion in his ma ke p omises
hem access o he Eu opean goods and
labou ma ke s as well as in eg a ion in o
in e na ional supply chains and he acili a-
ion o ade in goods and se ices. I also
a ac s in es o s and o eign di ec in es -
men . Howe e , adop ing he acquis com-
munau ai e wi h espec o single ma ke
legisla ion is he mos di icul challenge
in any accession p ocess.
In his ega d, candida e coun ies mus
engage in legal ha monisa ion o access he
single ma ke o p oduc s, se ices, pe sons
and companies. Fi s o all, hey mus es ab-
lish he s uc u al and legal ounda ions
o a unc ioning ma ke economy. This in-
cludes, abo e all, he legal basis o p op-
e y, con ac and comme cial law. In addi-
ion, hey need o mee nume ous adminis-
a i e and echnical equi emen s in o de
o gua an ee he unc ioning o he single
ma ke . Many o hese equi emen s ha e
esul ed om he b oad base o case law
coming ou o he Eu opean Cou o Jus-
ice (ECJ) wi h ega d o he single ma ke .
Two p inciples should be highligh ed
he e: (a) he mu ual ecogni ion o s and-
a ds, and (b) he ha monisa ion o s and-
a ds, which enables, u he de elops and
pe manen ly secu es he ee and unhin-
de ed exchange o goods, se ices, capi al
and pe sons in he common ma ke . All
goods ha a e legally aded in only one
pa o he single ma ke mus also be
allowed o ci cula e eely in all o he pa s.
The exchange o goods in he single ma ke
may only be a ec ed by na ional p o isions
ha a e necessa y o ensu e public o de
and sa e y (i.e. legisla ion comba ing aud
o e o s o p e en co up ion, illegal
ade and o ganised c ime), public heal h,
consume p o ec ion, he en i onmen al
and clima e p o ec ion. Mu ual ecogni ion
o s anda ds equi es wo hings: i s ly,
mu ual us among all membe s a es wi h
ega d o he due diligence and e ec i e-
ness o na ional p o ec ion and sa e y egu-
la ions. This also means us ing ha
na ional egula ions and adminis a ions
ensu e he quali y and expe ise o he com-
panies and businesses ha p oduce he
SWP Commen 42
Sep embe 2024
3
goods o o e he se ices. E e y single
ma ke economy’s na ional equi emen s,
which a e ecognised by all o he membe s,
mus mee o he same high sa e y s anda ds
and le el o p o ec ion. This also applies
o he s anda ds and legisla ion o non-EU
membe s a es wi h which he EU has es ab-
lished a ee ade o associa ion ag eemen
ha en ails he pe spec i e o accede o
he EU.
Secondly, his mu ual us is he e o e
based on a common unde s anding be-
ween all single ma ke coun ies as o wha
p oduc sa e y e e y s a e mus ensu e and
gua an ee i s ci izens and wha he coun-
ies can demand om Eu opean pa ne s.
I he e a e doub s abou his, i could
mean ha he EU g an s hi d coun ies’
p oduc s and se ices only selec i e access
o he single ma ke in o de o p o ec i
om damage.
In addi ion o implemen ing ha monisa-
ion legisla ion, all coun ies pa icipa ing
in he single ma ke in hose a eas in which
common s anda ds ha e been ag eed upon
a e equi ed o exe cise adminis a i e con-
ol o Eu opean s anda ds and adop s ic
es ing and ce i ica ion measu es as well
as, in some cases, na ional ma ke su eil-
lance. To his end, hey mus c ea e, ad-
equa ely equip and un app op ia e na ional
ins i u ions ha supe ise, con ol and,
i necessa y, penalise manu ac u e s and
dis ibu o s. Such ins i u ions can ake he
o m o , o example, es ing labo a o ies,
echnical ins i u es o compe en supe iso y
bodies wi h o e sigh o e a eas including
inancial se ices o occupa ional heal h
and labou sa e y.
Wi h ega d o he exchange o goods,
a dis inc ion is made be ween p oduc and
p oduc ion- ela ed equi emen s. In o de
o a p oduc o be eely exchanged wi hin
he single ma ke , i mus mee Eu opean
sa e y and p o ec ion s anda ds. New pa -
icipan s’ en y in o he single ma ke mus
no esul in educed le els o consume
p o ec ion o sa e y. Fu he mo e, p oduc-
ion o he new pa icipan ’s commodi y
mus no cause any dis o ions o compe i-
ion. To his end, he EU mus gua an ee a
le el playing ield and moni o i s de el-
opmen . Fo example, manu ac u ing
s anda ds o any gi en p oduc mus be
ha monised o ensu e adequa e labou
and en i onmen al p o ec ions, o he wise
a company could po en ially manu ac u e
a p oduc o much cheape and unde cu
compe i ion by o e ing he p oduc in
he common ma ke a a lowe p ice. Con-
sequen ly, ma ke pa icipan s mus ha mo-
nise hei p oduc ion- ela ed equi emen s,
such as en i onmen al, labou and consume
p o ec ions, and ele an social policies. A
he same ime, new membe s mus se up
supe iso y na ional ins i u ions and adop
and de ine equi ed adminis a i e p o-
cedu es. They mus also ha monise hei
axa ion p inciples as well as co po a e
and capi al legal equi emen s wi h hose
o he o he single ma ke membe s.
Thus, in addi ion o he adop ion o sec-
onda y legisla ion, in eg a ion in o he
single ma ke also equi es he c ea ion o
sui able s uc u es and e ec i e ins i u ions
as well as adequa e human and inancial
esou ces. Se ing he igh p io i ies plays
jus as impo an a ole he e as ollowing
he app op ia e sequence o s eps – bo h
o he candida es and o he EU i sel .
The single ma ke :
access and pa icipa ion
wi hou EU membe ship
Depending on i s own economic and poli i-
cal in e es s as well as hose o he hi d
coun y, he EU de e mines he scope and
o ms o access o he single ma ke by
way o ade and associa ion ag eemen s.
In each case, he hi d coun y mus ul il
he condi ions de ined by he EU in o de
o access o pa icipa e in he single ma ke ,
and i mus be able o mee hese equi e-
men s on a pe manen basis. Because he
coun ies a hand a e no (ye ) EU membe s,
con ac ual egula ion is needed in o de o
cap u e he complexi y o he single ma ke .
Toge he wi h he h ee Eu opean F ee
T ade Associa ion (EFTA) coun ies o No -
way, Iceland and Liech ens ein, he EU
SWP Commen 42
Sep embe 2024
4
o med he Eu opean Economic A ea (EEA),
whose membe s ul il he condi ions o he
single ma ke acquis and hus a e able o
ully pa icipa e in he single ma ke . This
means ha No way, Iceland and Liech en-
s ein a e pa o he single ma ke wi hou
being membe s o he EU. As single ma ke
legisla ion cons an ly p og esses, he EEA
p o ides a mechanism h ough which hese
h ee EFTA coun ies adop new legisla ion
in a quasi-au oma ic ashion. They a e con-
sul ed in ad ance on legisla i e p oposals
and pa icipa e in he Council’s implemen-
a ion commi ees, howe e , hey do no
ha e a o e on he legisla ion in he Coun-
cil o Eu opean Pa liamen .
Sepa a ely, he EU has concluded a la ge
numbe o indi idual sec o al ag eemen s
wi h he ou h and inal EFTA membe
Swi ze land, allowing i pa ial access o
he single ma ke . Howe e , he EU does
no ega d his as a model o associa ion
o o he hi d coun ies. This ne wo k o
bila e al ag eemen s wi h Swi ze land is
ex emely cos ly and ine icien because
his o m o olun a y ha monisa ion wi h
ele an EU seconda y legisla ion (au ono-
mous adap a ion) does no gua an ee Swi -
ze land’s comple e and swi adop ion o
cu en single ma ke legisla ion.
The EU’s economic pa ne ship wi h
he Uni ed Kingdom (UK) allows B i ish
p oduc s o en e he single ma ke wi hou
du ies o quo as. Howe e , he UK is nei he
pa o he EU cus oms union, no does i
au oma ically o egula ly adop new EU
legisla ion o ules o he single ma ke ,
including common p oduc s anda ds. The
di e ences be ween B i ish and Eu opean
s anda ds a e he e o e likely o mul iply,
necessi a ing mo e bo de con ols o
bila e al ade. Besides, he wo sides s ill
ha e no sough o nego ia e he ee mo e-
men o people, goods, se ices and capi al.
While he ou EFTA coun ies and he
UK a e no seeking EU membe ship, o he
hi d coun ies’ EU aspi a ions s ill ma e
as his de e mines how associa ion ela ions
will be o ganised and de ines hese coun-
ies’ access o he single ma ke . In gen-
e al, associa ion ag eemen s a e expec ed
o include an explici p epa a o y cha ac e
o po en ial acceding coun ies, especially
when he coun ies a e no ye eady o
en e he single ma ke . These ag eemen s
con ain clauses on he u he de elopmen
o ela ions, including in he ealm o eco-
nomic coope a ion and in eg a ion. Fo
many yea s, S abilisa ion and Associa ion
Ag eemen s (SAAs) wi h he WB-6 we e
expec ed o b ing hese coun ies close o
mee ing he equi emen s o he single
ma ke acquis wi h he help o EU inancial,
echnical and adminis a i e suppo . The
i s SAA – wi h (No h) Macedonia –
came in o o ce in 2004. The SAAs could
ce ainly be used as an in e media e s ep in
g an ing aspi ing coun ies ull pa icipa-
ion in he single ma ke , bu his has ha dly
been he case in he pas . Al hough he EU
is he mos impo an ading pa ne o
he WB-6, his does no mean ha hey a e
eady o en e he single ma ke .
The EU concluded associa ion ag eemen s
and Deep and Comp ehensi e F ee T ade
Ag eemen s (DCFTAs) wi h Uk aine, Moldo a
and Geo gia a a ime when i did no wan o
a o d hese coun ies he p ospec o acces-
sion. To compensa e o his and o adhe e
o he idea o “sha ing e e y hing bu ins i-
u ions”, he DCFTAs con ain p o isions on
in eg a ion in o he single ma ke and ade
condi ions ha a e deepe and mo e a ou -
able han hose o he SAAs. S ill, bo h he
DCFTAs and SAAs would be sui able s a -
ing poin s o se ing coun y-speci ic p io -
i ies o g adual in eg a ion, bo h in e ms
o hei subs ance and pa i y o na ional
and EU ins i u ions – a he minis e ial,
pa liamen a y and senio o icial le els.
De icien single ma ke ma u i y
A pa amoun p e equisi e o g adual in e-
g a ion in o he single ma ke is isible
p og ess in he ul ilmen o he undamen-
als in Clus e 1. The e a e poli ical and
ma e ial easons why he EU only wan s
o accep coun ies ha can demons a e
unc ioning sepa a ion o powe s, ule o
law, accoun able public adminis a ions
SWP Commen 42
Sep embe 2024
5
and an i-co up ion e o s. Howe e , hese
a e he bigges p oblem a eas o all candi-
da e coun ies. Those wishing o pa icipa e
in he single ma ke mus ha e es ablished
adminis a i e s uc u es and ins i u ions
o ma ke su eillance. None heless, he
Eu opean Commission did no look a ou -
ably on hese coun ies’ e o ms in he
ields o public adminis a ion and ins i-
u ional equi emen s, no ing in i s la es
2023 Communica ion on EU Enla gemen
Policy ha “[ ]o now, mos e o ms a e
mo e cosme ic han subs an i e”. I wen
on o cau ion ha he nine enla gemen
coun ies o he WB-6, Uk aine, Moldo a
and Geo gia “ emain a bes mode a ely
p epa ed in e ms o quali y o hei public
adminis a ion”. These coun ies he e o e
ail o ul il he undamen al economic c i-
e ia ha would signal hei eadiness o
en e he single ma ke as hey s uggle o
es ablish ully unc ioning ma ke econo-
mies and he abili ies o wi hs and com-
pe i i e p essu e in he single ma ke .
O he six hema ic clus e s ha com-
p ise he 33 o al nego ia ing chap e s, Clus-
e 2 “In e nal Ma ke ” consis s o nine
chap e s, including ee mo emen o capi-
al, ee mo emen o wo ke s, igh o
es ablishmen and eedom o p o ide se -
ices, and compe i ion policy. As a as
hese ou eedoms a e conce ned, he
Eu opean Commission s a ed in i s No em-
be 2023 coun y-speci ic assessmen s ha
none o he nine coun ies we e mee ing
a ge s. P og ess in 2023 i sel was also con-
sis en ly low o limi ed.
Mon eneg o is he Wes e n Balkan
coun y wi h which he EU has been con-
duc ing accession nego ia ions he longes ,
since 2012. I has opened all nine chap e s
o Clus e 2 (In e nal Ma ke ) bu has no
p o isionally closed any. The Eu opean
Commission assesses he coun y as only
mode a ely p epa ed when i comes o he
ee mo emen o goods, and in i s la es
coun y epo i ecommended ha Mon e-
neg o ocus on aligning wi h single ma ke
legisla ion o s anda dise and s eng hen i s
indi idual agencies. Acco ding o he Com-
mission’s analysis, Moldo a, he mos
ecen coun y o become an accession can-
dida e along wi h Uk aine, has only made
limi ed p og ess in aligning i s legisla ion
wi h ha o he Eu opean single ma ke
acquis while also ha ing wha is desc ibed
as only “some le el o p epa a ion” o en e
he single ma ke . No candida e coun y
in he Wes e n Balkans cu en ly ul ils he
c i e ion o a unc ioning ma ke economy.
He e, he Commission conside s Moldo a
and Uk aine o be “be ween an ea ly s age
and some le el o p epa a ion”. The e o e,
i is oo ea ly o pa ially in eg a e Moldo a
o Uk aine in o he single ma ke , as doing
so would jeopa dise he single ma ke as
he co e o EU in eg a ion.
G adual in eg a ion:
ewa ds and added alue
E en in he con ex o g adual in eg a ion,
he EU is no comp omising in e ms o
aspi ing coun ies’ equi emen o ha mo-
nise wi h he acquis and c ea e necessa y
s uc u es and ins i u ions. Howe e ,
h ough g adual in eg a ion, he EU is aim-
ing o educe he cos s associa ed wi h
accession by g adually and pa ially a o d-
ing candida e coun ies access o he single
ma ke ea ly on. Thi d coun ies’ e o s
o adap should be ewa ded wi h e ec i e
economic and inancial bene i s quickly
and be o e hei accession.
S ill, one cen al p oblem emains, e en
wi h his modi ied s a egy: The adjus men
cos s incu ed by he accession coun ies a e
only o se – o a deg ee – by empo a y,
no pe manen ansi ional a angemen s
wi h he EU. He e, i is only du ing he p e-
accession phase ha he EU can alle ia e
hese bu dens, pa icula ly by g an ing inan-
cial aid and echnical/adminis a i e sup-
po . In p e ious ounds o enla gemen ,
he candida es calcula ed ha hei adap a-
ion e o s and cos s would be ou weighed
by he bene i s o u u e in eg a ion in o
he EU as a ull membe . This made he one-
sided bu den poli ically accep able.
The EU’s p ima y aim wi h g adual in e-
g a ion is o spu new momen um in he
SWP Commen 42
Sep embe 2024
6
slow accession p ocesses o he WB-6, whe e
he main obs acle has been massi e demo-
c a ic and go e nance de ici s. These de i-
ci s mus also be emedied o he WB-6
o gain as e access o he single ma ke ,
whe he o indi idual p oduc s o en i e
indus ies o sec o s. I sys emic e o ms
ake e ec in he WB-6, his should pay o
e en be o e ull accession. The EU is also
o e ing inancial suppo o hese coun ies
o help hem ul il he equi emen s o he
single ma ke . Whe he his incen i e
mechanism wo ks as in ended will depend
on how he go e nmen s o hese coun ies
weigh he po en ial (and usually u u e)
ad an ages o pa ial single ma ke in eg a-
ion agains he (cu en ) poli ical and
inancial cos s o a - eaching s uc u al
e o ms.
The idea o g adual in eg a ion is en-
sh ined in he la es nego ia ing ame-
wo ks in which he 27 EU membe s a es
se ou he p inciples o accession nego-
ia ions. Howe e , he e is no di ec link
be ween ha which is ag eed upon o e
he cou se o g adual in eg a ion and ha
which is ag eed upon o e he cou se o
o mal nego ia ions a in e go e nmen al
con e ences. A solu ion could be o he
Eu opean Commission o assess he success
o hese coun ies in ce ain a eas o he
single ma ke du ing accession nego ia ions
and g adual in eg a ion p io o becoming
ull membe s o he EU. These achie e-
men s could hen also be conside ed when
assessing he hi d coun ies’ ul ilmen o
he benchma ks ha close nego ia ion chap-
e s. Killing wo bi ds wi h one s one, his
could simpli y and accele a e he accession
nego ia ions, p o ided ha all 27 membe
s a es accep he Commission’s assessmen .
Membe s could hen ely on he Commis-
sion’s decision i i would only au ho ise i-
nancial aid o accession coun ies in he con-
ex o g adual in eg a ion i he equi e-
men s o he applica ion o he single ma -
ke acquis we e me . Measu es a ising o e
he cou se o g adual in eg a ion could also
be adop ed by he acceding coun ies’ ins i-
u ions and hus become legally binding.
Howe e , i emains o be seen wha his
would mean o he ac ual accession nego-
ia ions. The nego ia ing amewo k de el-
oped by he EU o he assessmen o pa ial
single ma ke eadiness could he e o e in-
luence he pace and dynamics o he acces-
sion nego ia ions.
Conc e e implemen a ion
is equi ed
One weakness o he new enla gemen
s a egy is ha g adual in eg a ion in o he
single ma ke has no ye been ailo ed o
he indi idual accession candida es based
on hei own unique ci cums ances. The
s a ing condi ions o he new eas e n
Eu opean candida es Moldo a and Uk aine
di e conside ably om hose o he WB-6.
Indeed, i has no been speci ied how g ad-
ual in eg a ion in o he single ma ke would
be made possible. Wha a e he poli ical
p e equisi es, and wha a e he legal and
ins i u ional measu es ha would need o
be implemen ed, and in wha o de ? In
o de o be able o u ilise he enla gemen
s a egy’s new g adual in eg a ion ins u-
men , he EU will need o cla i y i s ideas
and incen i es o each candida e coun y’s
en y o he single ma ke as quickly and
comp ehensi ely as possible.
In he coun y-speci ic nego ia ing
amewo ks, he 27 membe s a es ha e
s ipula ed ha he e should only be a ew
and sho ansi ional pe iods in connec ion
wi h he expansion o he single ma ke .
G adual in eg a ion should ocus on a eas
“whe e he candida e coun y al eady has
he capaci y and expe ise o expo s o he
EU, and on a eas o mu ual s a egic in e -
es whe e he candida e coun y has signi i-
can p oduc ion bu needs o mee EU
no ms and s anda ds, and as well on a eas
whe e he e is a as un apped po en ial”.
This p o ision om he nego ia ing ame-
wo k wi h Albania is an example o he
EU’s desi e o le el he playing ield and
ensu e he in eg i y o he single ma ke .
In he u u e, he EU needs o conc e ely
de ine and speci y necessa y ins i u ional,
adminis a i e and echnical s uc u es and
SWP Commen 42
Sep embe 2024
7
ins umen s on a case-by-case basis, as hese
will a y signi ican ly om sec o o sec o
and coun y o coun y. I would also make
sense o he EU o ecommend he bes
sequence o s eps and o o e p ecise ime-
ables and implemen a ion plans o he
necessa y e o ms, once again, cus omised
o each candida e.
In No embe 2023, he Eu opean Com-
mission submi ed a p oposal on a g ow h
plan o he Wes e n Balkans and a e o m
and g ow h acili y o i s inancing. He e,
i oiced bo h i s ideas on g adually in e-
g a ing he WB-6 in o he EU single ma ke
as well as i s insis ence on equi ing he
WB-6 o pu sue a esul s-o ien ed e o m
policy. Howe e , he p oposed a eas o
pa ial in eg a ion in o he single ma ke
a e a he selec i e (including inclusion in
he Single Eu o Paymen s A ea – SEPA,
he es ablishmen o a olun a y oaming
ag eemen and he ecogni ion o p o es-
sional quali ica ions) and no comp ehen-
si e access o he single ma ke o an
en i e indus y o sec o has been o e ed.
The a eas in which pa ial in eg a ion
may be he easies and quickes a e no a
he di ec cen e o he single ma ke . Fo
example, he Commission highligh ed
acceding coun ies’ po en ial o pa icipa e
o be included in he a eas o : Eu opean
anspo a ion and ene gy, clima e and
en i onmen al policy, consume p o ec ion
policy o ood p oduc ion, Eu opean co-
hesion and economic policy unde he
Eu opean Semes e , and mig a ion and
bo de managemen .
In any case, he ball is now in he cou
o he WB-6, which he Commission is
calling on o make i s own p oposals. This
bo om-up app oach o ces he WB-6 o
ake mo e owne ship and o cla i y hei
in e es s and plans o e o m. The exis ing
bila e al associa ion commi ees could unc-
ion as o a whe e hese coun ies’ na ional
plans a e compa ed and made mo e con-
c e e.
S ill, he Eu opean Commission i sel
no es a numbe o conce ns wi h g adual
in eg a ion. In he e en ha he single
ma ke is opened up o ce ain goods and
se ices in a mo e comp ehensi e way, he
EU would undoub edly be aced wi h he
ques ion o how i can ensu e ha EU egu-
la ions a e comp ehensibly applied and
en o ced in non-EU single ma ke s a es,
and he eby p o ec i s own ci izens and
companies. I i is o simply ely on na ional
echnical egula ions in lieu o ha monisa-
ion wi h EU equi emen s h ough EU
legisla ion, he EU mus ensu e ha hese
egula ions a e s ill in e p e ed by he
acceding coun ies’ au ho i ies in acco d-
ance wi h EU law. This includes complying
wi h he in e p e a ion o equi emen s by
he Eu opean Cou o Jus ice (ECJ), whose
judgemen s a e no ye binding o he
acceding coun ies. Conside ing his, he
Eu opean Commission’s conc e e ideas o
g adual in eg a ion in o he single ma ke
also appea o be cau ious and ese ed. In
his con ex , he es ablishmen o a Single
Ma ke Academy may be he mos app o-
p ia e p oposal, as i would o e he WB-6
a poin o con ac ha could p o ide con-
c e e assis ance o help hese coun ies
de elop hei s uc u es and capaci ies in
key a eas including s anda ds, ce i ica ion
and con o mi y. None heless, such a mecha-
nism would ce ainly no cons i u e he
ma ke in eg a ion ha he candida e coun-
ies hope o and expec ; and i could he e-
o e p omp hem o eweigh he bu dens
and bene i s o EU membe ship and hus
s eng hen and accele a e hei e o m
e o s.
Conclusion: hu dles emain high
Upon i s glance, he po en ial o g adually
in eg a ing candida e coun ies in o he
single ma ke appea s o be a easonable
s ep in u he ing he desi ed (and geo-
poli ically necessa y) dynamisa ion o he
EU’s enla gemen p ocesses. This applies
i s and o emos o he WB-6. On second
glance howe e , ce ain concep ual and
p ac ical ques ions emain unanswe ed,
o bo h he EU and he candida e coun-
ies. The equi emen s o single ma ke
eadiness emain unchanged and he c i-
SWP Commen 42
Sep embe 2024
8
e ia canno be so ened. The bu den o
compliance, i.e. e o m, ha monisa ion o
EU and na ional legisla ion, and he es ab-
lishmen o s able adminis a i e s uc-
u es, can only be pa ially eased h ough
EU unding. The EU’s commi men o a o d
mo e inancial suppo is nea ly o he
poin o o e ing EU s uc u al unds, which
a e only g an ed in he e en o ull mem-
be ship. In his espec , he EU has la gely
exhaus ed i s ange o ins umen s. I can-
no (and mus no ) pe manen ly exemp he
candida e coun ies om ce ain a eas o
he single ma ke acquis les i un he isk
o damaging he co e o EU in eg a ion,
cohesion and poli ical s abili y. I emains
o be seen whe he he EU can en o ce he
poli ical condi ions is-à- is he poli ical
eli es o he acceding coun ies wi hin he
amewo k o g adual in eg a ion. The link
be ween be e go e nance and p o essional
public adminis a ion on he one hand and
access o he single ma ke and i s econom-
ic bene i s on he o he , mus be posi ioned
a he cen e o accession nego ia ions
and associa ion ela ions. This also means
ha bene i s will only be g an ed i he
condi ions a e me , and he o me will be
wi hd awn i he la e a e no eliably me .
I acceding coun ies’ eli es a e no p e-
pa ed o adop he EU’s poli ical, economic
and social model, access o he EU single
ma ke will only be open o hem wi hou
o mal EU membe ship. He e, hey would
s ill need o comp ehensi ely ul il he legal
obliga ions, bu no necessa ily he poli i-
cal and no ma i e condi ions. Howe e ,
he inancial suppo a hei disposal in
his case would likely also be signi ican ly
diminished.
The heigh ened impe a i e – i no
dominance – o he geopoli ical (and geo-
economic) a ionale o u u e enla gemen
mus no , howe e , mean ha enla gemen
and nego ia ion p oceedings a e no longe
based on me i , pe o mance and he ul il-
men o objec i e pa ame e s. The poli ici-
sa ion o enla gemen isks unde mining
he impo ance o he unc ioning single
ma ke and i s accompanying policies ha
ensu e he (enla ged) EU’s con inued co-
hesion and p ospe i y.
D Pe e Becke is a Senio Associa e in he EU
/
Eu ope Resea ch Di ision a SWP.
D Ba ba a Lippe is SWP’s Di ec o o Resea ch and a membe o i s Execu i e Boa d.
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ISSN (P in ) 1861-1761
ISSN (Online) 2747-5107
DOI: 10.18449/2024C42
(English e sion o
SWP-Ak uell 45/2024)
