Today, on the occasion of the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg, candidate countries and potential candidates were associated with the European Centre for Democratic Resilience. Bringing together ministers from all 27 EU Member States and colleagues from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine, this step reflects a shared commitment to strengthening democratic resilience across Europe.
The association recognises that enlargement partners face many of the same threats to democracy as EU Member States, often with heightened intensity because of their determination to pursue the path towards EU accession. As these threats increasingly transcend national and EU borders, a coordinated response across Europe is essential to draw on shared experience and strengthen our collective capacity to address these challenges.
Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said: “Bringing our candidate countries into the European Centre for Democratic Resilience is a great example of how we can fend off the threats to our democracy and to our infrastructure together – ahead of accession. This is in the Union’s interest. It is a real value-added and a win-win for us all when they contribute their experience.”
The association aims to deepen practical cooperation on electoral integrity, resilience against hybrid threats, countering foreign information manipulation and interference, and protecting democratic institutions and actors. Implementation will begin promptly through a number of priority projects identified jointly with Member States. These include crisis-management tabletop exercises, exchanges on common concepts and methodologies, work on measuring resilience, and training on the protection of journalists and civil society.
Moldova and Ukraine illustrate the valuable expertise that enlargement partners can contribute to this shared effort. Moldova has gained first-hand experience in safeguarding electoral processes against foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), particularly by identifying and countering disinformation campaigns and attempts to undermine electoral integrity. Ukraine, meanwhile, has developed extensive expertise in crisis management and resilience in the face of sustained hybrid threats and Russia’s war of aggression.
Background
In February 2026, a European Centre for Democratic Resilience (ECDR) was created as a new hub for exchange between EU institutions, Member States and civil society to empower, protect, and promote strong and resilient democracies across the EU.
The Centre is a core component of the European Democracy Shield, which defines a broad, society-wide approach to strengthening democracy.
In July 2026, during a high-level technical meeting, EU Member States recognised the potential mutual benefits of associating close partners with the Centre. Several candidate countries and potential candidates also expressed interest in working with Member States and EU institutions to advance the Centre’s objectives.
Today’s association builds on these discussions and translates this shared interest into concrete cooperation.
