Rule of Law as the Hard Condition for Accession

Abstract

The enlargement policy stands as one of the EU’s most significant policies. In a changing world order and amid shifting geopolitical circumstances, it is in the vital interest of the European Union and its Member States to demonstrate progress in this policy area and to expand the Union with new members. Despite not expanding in the last ten years, the European Union’s enlargement policy has undergone significant changes, resulting in increasingly stringent and evolving requirements for candidate countries. This article utilises the conceptual framework of Europeanisation to assess the current preparedness of candidate countries, with a specific focus on the ‘fundamentals’, including Chapters 23 and 24.