Power Beyond Borders? Analysing Formal and Informal Capacities of the European Parliament in EU Enlargement Policy

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has potentially seemingly created a new window of opportunity for (pre-)accession candidates, reigniting the European Union's interest in the subject of enlargement. While existing literature predominantly scrutinizes the Council and the European Commission, this article shifts its focus to focusses instead on the European Parliament - an often overlooked yet crucial institution in the accession process.. Building on the core distinction between power and influence, this study offers a first comprehensive examination of the European Parliament’s capacities with respect to EU enlargement. It comparatively assesses the potential differences between its formal powers and its political or informal powers, spanning from the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 to the December 2023 European Council meeting. Drawing on the combination of an extensive literature review and a systematic analysis of primary documents, Through a comprehensive analysis, it explores the multifaceted instruments and mechanisms utilized by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to actively shape and influence EU enlargement policy. Covering the period from the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 to the December 2023 European Council meeting, this study aims to offer new insights into the parliamentary dimension of EU enlargement, enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms that shape policy outcomes at the European level. Drawing from an extensive literature review and a systematic analysis of primary documents, this study analyses five key avenues of power at the Parliament’s disposal; agenda-setting power, the consent procedure, standing parliamentary delegations, budget allocation, and parliamentary scrutiny. The findings reveal a notable disparity between the European Parliament’s formal powers and informal powers, thereby confirming its ‘self-empowerment’ strategy and highlighting the complex interplay between the Parliament’s’ formal prerogatives and the political reality of EU enlargement policy. It identifies a significant knowledge gap regarding the range of instruments at the disposal of the European Parliament in the context of EU enlargement. Highlighting the disconnection between their institutional set-up and practical political impact, the study underscores the necessity of bridging the gap between theory and practice. This combined exercise results in a comprehensive comparative analysis of various parliamentary tools that could be employed by MEPs in influencing EU enlargement policy.