Financing EU Enlargement: Balancing Efficiency, Predictability, and Results

The European Union (EU) enlargement has regained renewed momentum since Russia’s full scale invasion in Ukraine. The EU’s political ambition for an enlarged union amidst critical geopolitical transformations, will need to be matched by adequate, reliable and results oriented funding. The EU will decide on its next multi-year budget (multiannual financial framework, or MFF 2028-2034) by 2027.

The report examines existing EU assistance to the candidate countries, both under the pre-accession instrument (IPA I-III) and aid allocated via the facilities to Moldova, Western Balkans, and Ukraine from 2024. It recommends how EU institutions and ​member ​states will need to prioritize financial resources as well as political backing in the next multi-annual budget and provide to the candidate counties resources needed for approximating to the EU legislation, but also achieving the EU level of socioeconomic development for their societies.