European Council President Antonio Costa is seeking support from member states to change the decision-making rules in the European Union’s enlargement process.
Costa is currently conducting what he calls a “diplomatic offensive” across European capitals, aiming to break the deadlock over the EU perspective for candidate countries.
The issue of EU enlargement will also be addressed at an informal summit in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Under Costa’s proposal, the opening of negotiation chapters for accession would require a qualified majority rather than unanimity, as currently mandated. The closing of chapters, however, would still require the unanimous consent of all member states, as it does today.
This change would unblock many pending negotiation processes, such as Ukraine and Moldova—currently hindered by Hungary—and North Macedonia, which remains blocked by Bulgaria.
According to diplomatic sources, Antonio Costa is discussing this idea directly with European leaders. Officials close to his office stress that enlargement is one of the European Council president’s top priorities, viewing it as the EU’s most significant geopolitical investment.
