Legal concerns relating to Ukraine’s accession to the EU in 2027 under a special procedure

Question for written answer E-000624/2026
to the Commission
Rule 144
Stanisław Tyszka (ESN)

Reports from leading media outlets such as The Financial Times and Politico confirm that the Commission is working on a 'membership-lite' or 'reverse enlargement' model, which would give Ukraine membership privileges (access to the single market and EU funds) without needing to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria and fully implement the Union acquis. This is an attempt to dismantle the uniformity of membership status as established in Article 49 TEU and to create a privileged 'fast-track' route to accession.

In view of this, I ask:

• 1.On what legal basis does the Commission claim the right to create a new category of 'partial membership', i.e. to make a de facto change to the EU system without following the procedure required to amend the Treaties (Article 48 TEU) and without ratification by national parliaments?
• 2.Why is the Commission planning to grant Ukraine the economic and financial benefits of membership without first implementing the Union acquis and meeting the Copenhagen criteria?
• 3.How does this concept comply with the principle of equality of Member States according to the Treaties (Article 4(2) TEU), given that it introduces a systemic asymmetry of rights and obligations, putting Ukraine in a privileged position vis-à-vis current EU Member States, which have to bear regulatory and financial burdens in full while Ukraine would be exempt from doing so?

Submitted: 12.2.2026