EU proposes conditional single-market access for candidate countries

The European Commission is set to propose extending single-market access to EU candidate countries, with conditions tied to democratic standards and restrictions on sharing sensitive technology with unfriendly governments. This marks a shift toward deeper integration with aspirants like Ukraine and Moldova, but the conditional nature signals a new tool for leveraging alignment. The proposal's impact depends on how candidate countries respond and whether it accelerates or complicates accession talks.