Melike Pala
February 10, 2026•Update: February 10, 2026
BRUSSELS
The European Union is considering a new accession model that would allow Ukraine to take part provisionally in certain areas of the bloc before completing the full membership process, according to media reports.
Under the proposal, which has been discussed within the European Commission, Ukraine would begin participating in selected EU frameworks while continuing reforms required for accession, TVP World and Politico reported on Tuesday.
The idea, informally referred to by EU officials as "reverse enlargement," would represent a departure from the EU’s traditional accession process, granting candidate countries phased-in rights and obligations rather than full membership at the end of negotiations.
According to Politico, the model could allow Ukraine to gain partial participation in the EU as early as next year, with full membership potentially targeted for 2027 as part of a broader peace and security framework linked to ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined several options to overcome enlargement deadlock during an earlier meeting with EU governments, diplomats told Politico.
Among the models discussed was provisional participation, aimed at reinforcing Ukraine's EU path amid ongoing geopolitical challenges.
"It would be a sort of recalibration of the process — you join and then you get phased in rights and obligations," an EU official familiar with the discussions said.
The discussions are not limited to Ukraine. EU officials said the approach could also apply to other candidate countries, including Moldova, Albania, and Western Balkan states, where accession processes have stalled for years.
However, key aspects of the proposal remain unresolved, including how provisional participation would affect sensitive policy areas such as agriculture, migration, and access to the EU budget.
The initiative faces political resistance within the bloc, most notably from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has repeatedly opposed Ukraine's EU membership.
German officials have also expressed concerns about creating multiple tiers of EU membership, warning it could undermine the bloc's unity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would be "technically ready by 2027," emphasizing that EU membership is a matter of security for Kyiv.
With the war between Russian and Ukraine nearing the four-year mark, Kyiv has sought membership or closer association with both the EU and NATO in the hope this might protect it from possible future threats.
