The Impact of Ukrainian Membership on the EU’s Institutions and Internal Balance of Power

This policy paper establishes what the expected impact of Ukraine’s accession is on the composition and functioning of the EU institutions and examines what kind of reforms are being contemplated in order to ensure the EU’s future decision-making capacity. The paper also hypothesises how Ukraine’s accession will affect the political balance and coalition building among member states. What emerges from the analysis is the strong conviction that member states cannot simply continue with half-hearted measures. There is a geostrategic imperative for the EU to shore up the credibility and predictability of its enlargement policy, and to reform it in lockstep with institutional reforms to ensure the smooth functioning of an enlarged EU.