European Commission President Jose Barroso recently said that a new constitutional arrangement should be created before the accession of the next member. While we are making internal preparations for further institutional reforms, the gradual and carefully conducted accession process is continuing with Southeast European countries, namely Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Turkey and other Western Balkan countries. We are cautious in assuming new obligations, but we stick to the promises we made to those countries, Rehn said.
Rehn said that the expansion and "deepening" of the European Union should go simultaneously.
On October 8 the European Commission is to release an annual progress report on candidate countries and potential candidates for EU membership. It will also propose a definition for the absorption capability of the EU as its contribution to a debate on enlargement that will be held at a summit in December.