InvigoratEU Social Acquis Compliance in the Accession Countries: Patterns of Formal Convergence – Drivers, Obstacles and Effects (D5.2)

Social Acquis Compliance in the Accession Countries: Patterns of Formal Convergence – Drivers, Obstacles and Effects

This report investigates the formal convergence of seven EU candidate countries – Albania, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Ukraine – with the EU social acquis. Using the newly developed Social Acquis Compliance Scoreboard (2001–2024), supplemented by expert interviews and political ethnography in Georgia and North Macedonia, the report analyses the drivers, obstacles, and societal consequences of legal harmonisation in the area of social policy. The findings show that while all candidate countries have significantly expanded their alignment with EU norms, the depth and quality of convergence vary widely, and implementation gaps persist across the region.

The quantitative analysis reveals a clear upward trend in formal approximation across all seven countries, often tied to critical milestones in the accession process, such as submission of EU membership applications, granting of candidate status, and the opening of accession negotiations. However, this progress is sensitive to the credibility of the EU’s membership promise. In North Macedonia, repeated delays and bilateral blockages have fostered reform fatigue and disillusionment. In Georgia, reforms peaked before candidate status was granted, but subsequent political developments have stalled alignment efforts, demonstrating that political will is decisive in sustaining convergence.

The qualitative findings deepen these insights by showing how domestic politics shape reform trajectories. Left-leaning governments and individual policy entrepreneurs tend to advance EU-aligned social legislation, while conservative or populist actors slow down reforms. Informal veto-players, especially business associations, can significantly filter legislative changes, as illustrated by Georgia’s 2020 labour reform process. Meanwhile, national identity narratives can either mobilize public support for Europeanization or be weaponized to undermine EU credibility and stall the accession process.

Finally, the case study of Chiatura’s manganese miners in Georgia highlights a core conclusion: formal convergence alone does not guarantee improved working conditions, social protection, or worker empowerment. Despite significant legislative approximation, miners continue to experience unsafe conditions, contract violations, and limited access to justice, demonstrating critical weaknesses in enforcement mechanisms.

The report concludes that EU social acquis convergence in candidate countries remains a predominantly formal exercise unless accompanied by credible accession incentives, strong domestic political will, empowered social partners, and robust implementation systems. To address these challenges, the report offers a package of policy recommendations focused on strengthening the credibility of the EU membership perspective, shifting conditionality toward implementation quality, empowering civil society and social partners, addressing informal power structures, and enhancing bottom-up worker empowerment. By adopting these measures, the EU can ensure that its social acquis becomes a transformative tool for improving social rights and equality across candidate countries.