EU Ties Candidate Market Access to Foreign Policy Alignment

The European Commission is making access to gradual integration benefits dependent on candidate countries aligning with EU foreign and security policy, according to annual assessment reports released by the executive body. Senior EU officials stated that Turkey, Georgia, and Serbia exhibit the lowest levels of foreign policy alignment among candidates, alongside reported setbacks in democratic reforms.

Under a proposed mechanism set to begin dedicated dialogues early next year, the EU intends to grant phased entry into aspects of the internal market, inclusion in the Single Euro Payments Area, and participation in programmes such as Erasmus+. An EU official confirmed that these benefits will remain merit-based, conditional, and reversible, with candidate performance evaluated on security cooperation, cybersecurity, border management, and adherence to sanctions against Russia.

Serbia's foreign policy alignment currently stands at 63 percent, with Brussels noting that Belgrade's maintained ties with Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran contradict official EU positions. Although Serbia has completed technical work regarding the internal market, its failure to join sanctions against Russia, Belarus, and Iran remains a primary point of divergence. Following the election victory of the anti-corruption Student List movement over Aleksandar Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party after 14 years in power, EU representatives expressed readiness to engage with the incoming government, while Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama noted at a summit in Brussels that Belgrade remains unlikely to recognize Kosovo.

In Georgia, the government announced in 2024 that it would suspend accession negotiations until 2028, having made no progress on the nine priority areas established for its candidate status. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused the Commission of double standards and political games, while Brussels previously suspended visa-free travel for Georgian official passport holders in March. Meanwhile, Turkey recorded the lowest foreign policy alignment score among candidates, even as bilateral cooperation continues on trade, migration, and the Middle Corridor transport network designed to link Europe with Central Asia.

Written by Martina Kirchner martina.kirchner@alpineweekly.com