Public discussion on EU enlargement with Gert Jan Koopman of the European Commission

On Tuesday 9 December, the Clingendael Institute welcomed Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations at the European Commission, and Heleen Bakker, Director-General for European Cooperation at the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for a public discussion on EU enlargement. The engaging conversation focused on how to balance political momentum for enlargement with ever-increasing geopolitical and institutional challenges. 

Seven candidates are currently engaged in negotiations to become EU member: Montenegro (since 2012), Serbia (since 2014), Albania (since 2020), North Macedonia (since 2020), Moldova, Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina (since 2024). The accession criteria are stipulated in the Copenhagen criteria, agreed in 1993.

Speaking in front of a diverse audience of diplomats, students, academic experts and journalists, Koopman underlined that the EU is rapidly approaching a decisive moment in its enlargement policy. Speaking at Clingendael, he said:

“The moment of truth is approaching, if it is not already upon us.”

Koopman explained how security for Europe has become a new and crucial dimension of the current enlargement round. Enlargement, in his view, could become the success story of the EU in a period in which its foreign policy is often – and in his words, rightly – criticised as underperforming. EU institutions and national governments must be ready to explain why enlargement is not only a risk but also in the interest of current member states, he noted, while simultaneously addressing EU citizens’ concerns. 

At the same time, he warned that one of the biggest obstacles to enlargement may actually come from within the Union itself. Koopman expressed concern that the EU might fail to take a collective positive decision once a candidate country has closed all negotiation chapters and has met all benchmarks. This, he argued, would seriously damage the EU’s credibility as an enlargement actor. 

In her opening remarks, Heleen Bakker expanded on the Dutch “strict, fair, and engaged” approach to enlargement. She stressed that the Netherlands recognises the geopolitical value of enlargement, but only if prospective members are able to fully adhere to EU norms and values; otherwise, enlargement risks weakening the Union. Bakker also cautioned against “date fixation”, emphasising that accession should follow once criteria are met rather than on the basis of fixed political timelines.

Clingendael Research fellow Wouter Zweers inserted into the debate some critical remarks about the EU’s proclaimed enlargement momentum. Based on Clingendael’s extensive research on the topic in the past years, he offered ways forward on issues like gradual integration, decision-making, and doubling down on the EU's democratic conditionality. In line with the opening remarks of Clingendael Director Monika Sie Dhian Ho, he emphasised the role European think tank networks can play in bringing enlargement discussions forward to wider audiences.

During the Q&A, the audience engaged with issues such as absorption capacity, strategic autonomy, and the balance between deepening and widening the Union.