EU plans early membership benefits for Ukraine
The EU is preparing a new rewards system for candidate countries (photo: Getty Images)
The European Commission is working on a plan that would grant special benefits to countries seeking EU membership. Ukraine could also receive special perks, Politico reports.
Brussels plans to make the EU enlargement process truly comfortable for candidate countries.
Given that accession to the European Union can take many years, Brussels is actively working on a new incentive mechanism. It will allow future members to receive specific "rewards" while negotiations are still ongoing.
The main idea is gradual integration. Countries that successfully implement the required reforms will be able to join certain EU policies and programs before formal accession.
The proposed benefits include:
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Broader access to the EU single market;
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Participation in funding and investment programs;
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Integration into specific sectors, including transport, energy, and the digital market;
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The opportunity to participate in some EU meetings and cooperation formats without voting rights.
Moreover, Ukraine is said to be one of the main beneficiaries of this idea. That is why the EU is considering a scenario under which Kyiv could be offered partial integration before all membership negotiations are completed.
"The approach is also designed to keep candidate countries such as Ukraine — whose accession is likely to take years despite strong political backing," Politico writes.
On June 15, 2026, the EU officially opened the first negotiation cluster, Fundamentals, for Ukraine as part of the accession process to the European Union.
It also became known whether there is a chance for Ukraine and Moldova to join the EU simultaneously.
More about all the obstacles and challenges facing Ukraine during European integration can be found in the RBC-Ukraine article: Ukraine's 2030 EU goal: What could slow it down.
