European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

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The Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement is the member of the European Commission in charge of overseeing the accession process of prospective new member states and relations with those bordering the European Union (EU). The present commissioner, as of December 2019, is Olivér Várhelyi.

Currently there are eight candidate countries, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Two countries are recognised as potential candidates, namely Georgia and Kosovo.^[1] Candidate status was most recently granted to Bosnia and Herzegovina in December 2022,^[2] and a so-called "European Perspective" recognising a country as a potential candidate to Georgia in June 2022.^[3] Neighbourhood Policy is directed towards the western Balkans, those countries on the EU's eastern borders, often referred to as the Eastern Partnership or the accession trio, and on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, referred to as the Southern Neighbourhood and often engaged with in the format of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Olli Rehn became a European commissioner in 2004, following the enlargement to 10 new countries. In 2007 he oversaw the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Union. In 2004, candidate status was granted to Croatia. In 2005, candidate status was granted to Macedonia.

As commissioner, Rehn was involved with the enlargement to the western Balkans and Turkey, encouraging reform on those countries. 2006 saw the independence of Montenegro and separate accession talks starting with it.

In 2007 he welcomed the United Nations proposal on Kosovo by Martti Ahtisaari which advocated for near-independence to the region and separate accession negotiations with the European Union.

The then-commissioner had also been involved in the reunification of Cyprus, bringing Northern Cyprus to the European Union. Rehn's head of cabinet was Timo Pesonen and his deputy head was Maria Åsenius.

Croatia acceded to the Union in 2013.

The enlargement portfolio began to be created out of the regionalised foreign policy posts. In particular the Santer Commission post for relations with central and eastern Europe as those countries began applying to join. The Neighbourhood Policy element was created in 2004 as part of the External Relations portfolio. When that portfolio was absorbed by the High Representative in 2009, Neighbourhood Policy was transferred to Trade and then to Enlargement in 2010 under the Second Barroso Commission.

Commissioner			Country	Period	Party	Commission
		Günter Verheugen	Germany	1999–2004	PES	Prodi Commission
		Janez Potočnik	Slovenia	2004	ALDE	Prodi Commission
		Olli Rehn	Finland	2004–2010	ALDE	Barroso Commission
		Štefan Füle	Czech Republic	2010–2014	PES	Barroso Commission
		Johannes Hahn	Austria	2014–2019	EPP	Juncker Commission
		Olivér Várhelyi	Hungary	2019–present	EPP	Von der Leyen Commission

• Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations
• Enlargement of the European Union
• Foreign relations of the European Union
• European Union Association Agreement
• Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area

• The members of the Barosso Commission (2004–2009) website
• European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) website
• Rehn warns of 'chaos' in Kosovo if UN plan fails Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine