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European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR)

Screening of the acquis

European Commission - Enlargement - Screening of the acquis

Screening, or analytical examination of the acquis*, is a preparatory phase of accession negotiations*.

The screening process is carried out jointly by the Commission and each of the candidate countries. This process allows the latter to familiarise themselves with the acquis and, subsequently, to indicate their level of alignment with EU legislation and outline plans for further alignment.

A further purpose of screening is to identify those areas of the acquis in which progress is needed if the candidate countries' legislation is to be compatible with the EU rules. These areas are divided into chapters*.

For more details, see the following sections on our website: