The Model of Staged Accession: Addressing the EU’s four key concerns

Although the proposal has had a promising start, it is yet to gain recognition by the EU institutions and wider support from EU member states. Finding consensus on such an out-of-the-box solution becomes all the more warranted at the time when the enlargement process seems to be at an impasse. In order to take a step closer towards overturning the status quo, this paper discusses the doubts and concerns about the model that have been raised in the discussions held to date.