A coalition of 46 civil society organizations from the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova addressed a joint appeal to the European Parliament and to the EU Member States, urging them to make enlargement a core strategic and budgetary priority in the upcoming EU long-term budget (MFF 2028–2034).

The appeal calls for the creation of a dedicated “Enlargement” budget envelope within the new MFF – a concrete financial roadmap that would align the EU’s political commitments with the resources needed to support candidate and potential candidate countries on their path to membership.

Signatories stress that credible enlargement requires predictable and sufficient funding, particularly through a strengthened IPA IV instrument of at least €30 billion in grants, and through new mechanisms such as a “pre-accession transition” facility that bridges the gap between the conclusion of negotiations and full membership.

This collective appeal comes at a decisive moment, after the European Commission’s proposal for the new MFF (July 2025) and the ensuing negotiations among EU institutions and Member States. The organization’s urge EU policymakers to seize this window to ensure that enlargement is not just a political declaration, but a strategic financial commitment to Europe’s shared stability, prosperity, and unity.