The Europe Debate

Aug 12, 2026

Bosnia's EU readiness score fell by a third in a single year

An enlargement index built only on the EU's own progress reports shows Bosnia and Herzegovina sliding from 4.14 to 2.91 in one year — the sharpest fall in the field, and a warning about what happens when accession stalls.

The Europe Debate

Aug 11, 2026

Europe Never Measured What Completing Its Single Market Would Be Worth

The EU knows its single market delivers €427 billion a year, and that scrapping it would cut GDP by up to 9%. What no one has ever calculated is the prize for finishing it. A new EPIC report says that missing number is the problem.

The Europe Debate

Aug 10, 2026

Ukraine and Moldova Now Outscore Serbia on the EU's Readiness Ladder

An index that scores candidate countries against the EU's own progress reports finds Ukraine and Moldova have pulled ahead of Serbia and North Macedonia. In 2026, the accession calendar is starting to agree.

The Europe Debate

Jul 28, 2026

Foreign Cash and Missing Millions: The EU's Integrity Problem Won't Go Away

A stalled Huawei bribery probe and Europe-wide raids over far-right fund misuse are different scandals with the same root: Brussels still struggles to police the money flowing through its institutions.

The Europe Debate

Jul 27, 2026

Montenegro Is the EU's Readiest Candidate — and Still Isn't Ready

An independent index that scores enlargement candidates on the EU's own progress reports puts Montenegro at the top of the class. But 'best of ten' still means well short of the finish line — and the gap says as much about the EU as about Podgorica.

The Europe Debate

Jul 24, 2026

Local Firms Win EU Contracts 900 Times More Often Than Foreign Rivals

Three decades after Europe opened public tenders to cross-border competition, a homegrown firm is still hundreds of times likelier to win. A new EPIC report says Europe has never even measured what fixing this would be worth.