EU integration should begin well before formal accession. This policy brief examines how the private sectors in Albania, Ukraine and Serbia can be better prepared to participate in the EU single market and benefit from European funding, regulatory frameworks and value chains. Based on stakeholder consultations, it identifies persistent gaps in EU-related knowledge, regulatory preparedness, funding access, advocacy capacity and institutional support, with SMEs and businesses outside capital cities facing particularly significant barriers.

The brief argues for a shift from fragmented, project-based assistance to- wards a coordinated system of long-term ‘EU preparedness’. Governments and EU institutions should make existing opportunities more accessible by simplify- ing procedures, strengthening intermediary organisations, expanding regional outreach and providing targeted financial and technical support. Dedicated EU business one-stop shops, compliance accelerators, regional hubs and stronger public–private dialogue could help firms build the capabilities needed to operate effectively within the single market.

Early engagement could also generate benefits before accession by facili- tating access to European value chains, investment, technology transfer and innovation networks. For Ukraine, in particular, reconstruction provides a unique opportunity to embed EU standards and technologies into emerging industries from the outset. The brief ultimately calls for a more proactive and economically focused approach to enlargement: one that equips businesses to contribute to the integration process rather than simply preparing them to adapt to member- ship once it arrives.