EU de facto membership: an attempt to adapt to current challenges
- DOI
- 10.5922/vestnikhum-2025-4-11
- Pages
- 133-147
Abstract
The study examines a model of relations with the European Union referred to as “de facto membership.” The high relevance of this format of interaction stems from the challenges currently facing the EU, in particular issues related to its international actorness, as well as a number of EU initiatives aimed at establishing more flexible forms of cooperation, including in the field of foreign policy. The concept complements existing formats of differentiated integration and external differentiation in cooperation with the European Union. The purpose of the study is to expand existing concepts of cooperation with the EU that go beyond standard de jure membership. Event analysis and comparative analysis were employed as the main research methods. As a result, the study identifies key elements of de facto membership, including alignment of foreign policy, conditionality of integration, the significance of the energy component in economic interaction, independent initiatives by third countries to incorporate the acquis communautaire into domestic legislation, the importance of a shared cultural identity, as well as quantitative indicators—namely, the orientation of more than 50 % of a country’s foreign trade toward the European market and the implementation of over 50 % of EU legal acts into national law. A comparative analysis is provided of Switzerland as a representative case of de facto membership and the United Arab Emirates as a country currently only negotiating a free trade agreement with the EU. The study substantiates the conclusion that the EU leadership prioritizes the political dimension of the de facto membership model in its relations with third countries, often at the risk of undermining further cooperation.