CEPS, a leading think tank and forum for debate on EU affairs, compares the results of the European integration of the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries and offers bold new ideas for how the EU can incentivise the Trio countries (Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova) further with EU instruments. In particular, it offers an intermediate membership status (EU antechamber or atrium) model for the Trio countries, which would include the full benefits of the EU membership alongside the proposals made by R. Prody formula on 'everything by the institutions' approach.

As Chair of the Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Andrius Kubilius told the Accent that the European Parliament (EP) supports a proactive EU agenda for Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.

“In the Euronest PA resolution on the Trio plus in 2019, Tbilisi, it has supported a special process to move the association agenda closer to the EU accession. This was also proclaimed in the Euronest bureau message addressed in 2020 to the Eastern Partnership summit. The Commission and EEAS are preparing a new document on the next policy targets. This position and further suggestions will also depend on advocacy in Brussels and other European capitals. Georgian aim to submit application in 2024 is another mobilisation factor also for the EU to get ready for a new momentum of European Integration,” MEP Kubilius said.

When asked, “what should Georgia do to convince the countries opposing the enlargement of the European Union?”, he said:

“The positive experience of the previous EU enlargements on reform implementation speaks for itself. It is repeated this time for the EU accession process to the Western Balkans. And this is the only way forward. It builds the motivation to reforms and increases a ring of stability and friends in the EU's immediate neighbourhood. Even before the enlargement in 2004, the Commission President Romano Prodi in his formula on everything but institutions spoke about the necessity to keep the perspective credible in order to maintain the motivation for reforms and keep the momentum of European integration,” MEP Kubilius said.

According to him, the success of the Eastern Partnership countries is an inspiration also for Russia to choose a path of stable and prosperous democratic development.

“It is a win-win scenario also for Russia,” he added.