European Commission calls for Merz’s idea of Ukraine’s “associate membership” to be raised to European Council level

The European Commission has responded to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s proposal to grant Ukraine the status of an “associate member” of the EU, calling for the discussion to be moved to the level of the European Council.

This is stated in the response of a European Commission spokesperson to a UNIAN correspondent.

Brussels confirmed that it had received the relevant letter from the German chancellor. The reaction was cautiously positive: the European Commission welcomed the fact of the discussion itself, but made clear that the final decision should be taken at a higher level.

“We welcome the fact that this discussion is taking place among member states. And we call for this discussion to be moved to the level of the European Council,” the spokesperson’s response states.

The European Commission also interpreted the initiative as evidence that member states “also have a firm commitment to making enlargement a reality as quickly as possible.” The spokesperson emphasized the strategic dimension of the issue.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that enlargement is a geostrategic investment in our prosperity, peace and security. And Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is also fundamentally linked to the security of our Union,” the spokesperson said.

At the same time, the European Commission outlined a key condition: any non-standard formats for closer ties must not bypass the standard accession criteria. “Any innovative solutions must also be based on a merit-based process,” the institution’s response states. It also pointed to the importance of completing the enlargement process with all candidate countries that have long been working toward EU accession.

The European Commission added that it will continue to actively engage with both member states and candidate countries to find solutions that will “make us stronger and more secure as a Union.”

Merz’s proposal envisions finding a middle ground between Ukraine’s rapid accession and its current status as a candidate country. According to the German chancellor’s initiative, the new “associate member” status would allow Ukrainian officials to participate in EU summits and ministerial meetings, but without voting rights.