Germany proposes giving EU candidate countries observer status at summits

Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said the country could forgo its European commissioner post to make room for new arrivals. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Germany has proposed a detailed and innovative roadmap to expand the EU that would give candidate countries such as Ukraine early benefits including observer status at leaders’ summits in Brussels before full membership.

The proposals by the foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, amount to an offer of integrating candidate countries into sections of the EU long before technical negotiations for membership, which can drag on for years, are completed.