Adoption: 04/03/2026
Enlargement package 2025 – Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia
CIVEX-VIII/016
On 16 March 2026, the Council of the European Union adopted its long‑expected decision endorsing the establishment of a Joint Consultative Committee between the European Committee of the Regions and Ukraine. This step represents an important institutional milestone in strengthening structured dialogue between local and regional authorities on both sides. The formal establishment of the Joint Consultative Committee is expected to be confirmed through its adoption at the next EU–Ukraine Association Council.
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)
• reiterates its full support for EU enlargement and underlines the growing need to further increase and strengthen Europe’s resilience and defence capabilities in an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment;
• takes the view that enlargement will improve EU security by fully integrating the role of cities and regions into the various aspects of defence, which is no longer solely military but also civilian and hybrid, and essential for resilient societies;
• stresses the importance of working closely with local and regional authorities to secure the indispensable public support needed for enlargement and recommends promoting awareness‑raising campaigns regarding EU candidate countries;
• welcomes the Commission’s communication on a European Democracy Shield: Empowering Strong and Resilient Democracies and calls for clearer recognition of the role of local and regional authorities in fighting disinformation;
• highlights the CoR’s eagerness to upgrade bilateral cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova from CoR Working Groups to Joint Consultative Committees as early as possible in 2026, following the related decisions of the respective Association Councils with the EU;
• stresses that enlargement, as well as new geopolitical, environmental and democratic challenges, requires a bigger EU budget, and underlines that the financial envelope for enlargement countries should better support cities and regions in enhancing their capacity to design and implement reforms and to foster local economic development through improved access to investments;
• suggests exploring the extension of qualified majority voting to specific areas such as diplomatic and economic sanctions, to improve EU's agility and responsiveness;
• welcomes the fact that Ukraine, despite the ongoing war of aggression by Russia, successfully completed the screening process and advanced on key reforms, while noting that further efforts are needed to ensure consultation of local and regional authorities, clarify the division of powers and responsibilities, and prevent corruption; calls on the Commission to deepen its support for local and regional administrative capacity‑building and to report on the allocation of up to 20% of non‑refundable assistance under Pillar I of the Ukraine Facility, to ensure that these funds are used for the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation needs of sub‑national authorities;
• acknowledges Moldova’s pace of reforms but urges further progress on public administration reform, based on the roadmap of May 2025, which must deliver on administrative and fiscal decentralisation;
• expresses deep concern at the serious democratic backsliding in Georgia and recommends that Georgian local and regional authorities remain actively engaged through CORLEAP, ensuring continuity of dialogue and reinforcing mutual cooperation on democratic governance and regional development.
• reiterates its full support for EU enlargement and underlines the growing need to further increase and strengthen Europe’s resilience and defence capabilities in an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment;
• takes the view that enlargement will improve EU security by fully integrating the role of cities and regions into the various aspects of defence, which is no longer solely military but also civilian and hybrid, and essential for resilient societies;
• stresses the importance of working closely with local and regional authorities to secure the indispensable public support needed for enlargement and recommends promoting awareness‑raising campaigns regarding EU candidate countries;
• welcomes the Commission’s communication on a European Democracy Shield: Empowering Strong and Resilient Democracies and calls for clearer recognition of the role of local and regional authorities in fighting disinformation;
• highlights the CoR’s eagerness to upgrade bilateral cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova from CoR Working Groups to Joint Consultative Committees as early as possible in 2026, following the related decisions of the respective Association Councils with the EU;
• stresses that enlargement, as well as new geopolitical, environmental and democratic challenges, requires a bigger EU budget, and underlines that the financial envelope for enlargement countries should better support cities and regions in enhancing their capacity to design and implement reforms and to foster local economic development through improved access to investments;
• suggests exploring the extension of qualified majority voting to specific areas such as diplomatic and economic sanctions, to improve EU's agility and responsiveness;
• welcomes the fact that Ukraine, despite the ongoing war of aggression by Russia, successfully completed the screening process and advanced on key reforms, while noting that further efforts are needed to ensure consultation of local and regional authorities, clarify the division of powers and responsibilities, and prevent corruption; calls on the Commission to deepen its support for local and regional administrative capacity‑building and to report on the allocation of up to 20% of non‑refundable assistance under Pillar I of the Ukraine Facility, to ensure that these funds are used for the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation needs of sub‑national authorities;
• acknowledges Moldova’s pace of reforms but urges further progress on public administration reform, based on the roadmap of May 2025, which must deliver on administrative and fiscal decentralisation;
• expresses deep concern at the serious democratic backsliding in Georgia and recommends that Georgian local and regional authorities remain actively engaged through CORLEAP, ensuring continuity of dialogue and reinforcing mutual cooperation on democratic governance and regional development.