Merz pushes special EU status to bring wartime Ukraine closer to membership

In a letter to EU leaders, Merz outlined a model under which Ukraine would not yet receive full membership or voting rights on all issues, but would be integrated much more closely into European institutions.

Merz said the proposal reflects Ukraine’s wartime circumstances and progress in accession talks, and could also help peace efforts.

In his appeal, Merz stressed that EU enlargement is a “geopolitical necessity,” but that standard accession procedures take too long.

“So I am convinced that we need new momentum for Ukraine, the Western Balkan countries and Moldova,” he stressed.

The proposed “associate member” status would provide broader rights and obligations than those granted to candidate countries under the standard accession process, including:

• a seat and voting rights for Ukraine at meetings of the Council of the EU and the European Council, and participation without voting rights in the work of the European Commission and European Parliament;
• gradual integration into the EU budget;
• the use of Article 42.7 of the EU treaties on mutual defense and assistance to provide Ukraine with additional security guarantees;
• a seat at the Court of Justice of the EU with the position of assistant rapporteur, a lower-level judicial post.

At the same time, Merz said the special status could be restricted if reforms are rolled back or core EU values are violated.

For Moldova and the Western Balkan countries, Merz proposed speeding up integration. Unlike Ukraine, however, they would fall under a separate plan for faster accession to the European Union.

Ukraine’s EU accession

On May 11, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said all six negotiating clusters for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union could be opened as early as this summer.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine expects to join the European Union by 2027. He has also rejected the idea of “symbolic” benefits for Ukraine, saying Kyiv deserves full EU membership.

At the same time, several countries have opposed “shortcuts” to accession, including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, as well as Poland and Hungary. They stress that a candidate country must meet strict criteria, including on the rule of law and the fight against corruption.

On March 24, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said Ukraine would not be able to become an EU member in 2027.