The European Commission's 2026 enlargement package, its yearly progress reports on countries seeking membership, is scheduled for Wednesday 4 November 2026, a week later than the 28 October date first planned. For digital policy, the part to read is Chapter 10, Digital transformation and media, where each report rates how closely a candidate follows EU rules on telecoms, online platforms, cybersecurity, digital identity and media.

When the package is due

On 6 October Interfax-Ukraine reported that adoption was planned for 28 October. On 13 October Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said the package "will happen on 4 November", The New Union Post reported. Eunews and event listings on the Commission's EU Enlargement Forum 2026 page give the same date.

The 2025 edition, adopted on 4 November 2025, paired a policy communication with ten country reports, all on the Commission's Strategy and reports page.

What the Commission has announced

The Commission's 6 October announcement on pre-enlargement reforms, Preparing for a wider Union, previewed two parts of the package:

  • Indicative roadmaps for Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine, as long as they keep reforms moving.
  • A mapping of gradual integration tools, with digital named alongside energy, transport and defence as sectors for closer integration before membership.

What Chapter 10 covers

Chapter 10 sits in cluster 3, Competitiveness and inclusive growth. The 2025 reports assess it under four headings:

  • Electronic communications: the European Electronic Communications Code, spectrum, roaming and gigabit networks.
  • Digital services: the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and platform-to-business rules, plus AI Act alignment.
  • Digital trust and cybersecurity: the NIS2 Directive, the EU 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox and electronic identification, including the framework behind the EU Digital Identity Wallet.
  • Media: the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the European Media Freedom Act.

The rating scale runs from early stage through some level of preparation, moderately prepared and good level of preparation to well advanced.

Where the four frontrunners stood in 2025

Montenegro

Good level of preparation. Montenegro provisionally closed Chapter 10 in December 2024, yet its 2025 report still asked for full NIS2 alignment and a cybersecurity agency, a start on applying the 5G toolbox to high-risk suppliers, faster DSA and DMA alignment and media laws matching the Media Freedom Act. It had provisionally closed 21 of 33 chapters by 12 October 2026, European Western Balkans reported.

Albania

Between a moderate and a good level of preparation, with limited progress. The report noted 3.5 GHz licences for 5G in November 2024 but said the 700 MHz band still had to be freed from broadcasting, the 112 emergency number was not yet nationwide, and DSA, DMA and electronic identification alignment was outstanding. Albania opened cluster 3 in May 2025. By mid-October 2026 it had provisionally closed four chapters (20, 25, 26 and 30), per European Western Balkans and The New Union Post. Its goal is to conclude talks by the end of 2027.

Ukraine

Between a moderate and a good level of preparation, with some progress, mostly on roaming. The report flagged 5G: the regulator licensed a high-risk supplier for a Lviv pilot network, against Ukraine's own 5G security commitments, and the Commission asked for rules keeping such suppliers out of 5G auctions. Ukraine had taken only first steps towards the DSA and DMA; its media law broadly matched the Audiovisual Media Services Directive but only partly the Media Freedom Act.

Moldova

Some level of preparation, with good progress. The report found Moldova fully aligned with the original eIDAS regulation, with eIDAS 2.0 to follow, but not with the DMA, geo-blocking or platform-to-business rules; DSA drafting had begun. The government aims to provisionally close negotiations by early 2028, a goal the Commission has called ambitious but achievable.

Roaming and the negotiating calendar

As of October 2026, Ukraine and Moldova belong to the Roam Like at Home area: since 1 January 2026, EU travellers there, and Ukrainian or Moldovan travellers in the EU, pay domestic prices under fair-use rules, as Poland's regulator UKE confirms. Details are in our roaming countries list.

Both countries opened the fundamentals cluster on 15 June 2026 and the external relations cluster in July. On 13 October 2026 they opened clusters 2 and 3, Hromadske reported, putting Chapter 10 formally on the table. As of 28 October 2026, clusters 4 and 5 had not been opened.

What to watch on 4 November

  • Whether Ukraine's and Albania's Chapter 10 ratings improve.
  • Whether the roadmaps put indicative dates on closing chapters, including Chapter 10.
  • Which digital areas the gradual integration mapping proposes.
  • Repeat requests on 5G suppliers, DSA and DMA, digital identity and media freedom.

Related coverage is in our Policy and Eastern Europe sections.

Frequently asked questions

When is the EU enlargement package 2026 published?

It is scheduled for Wednesday 4 November 2026, after moving from 28 October.

What is the Ukraine EU accession timeline?

Ukraine applied on 28 February 2022 and opened negotiations on 25 June 2024. Four of the six clusters were open by 13 October 2026. Kyiv wants all six open by the end of 2026; reports on whether the Commission's roadmaps will give an indicative closing date conflict, so none is assumed here.

When could Montenegro join the EU?

Montenegro aims to close all chapters by the end of 2026, and chief negotiator Predrag Zenović backs 2028 as the year of membership. Accession also requires a treaty ratified by every member state.