ILGA-Europe together with ERA – the LGBTI Rights Association for the Western Balkans and Turkey, presents this LGBTI Enlargement Review 2026 assessing gaps in legislation and policy for the protection and advancement of the human rights of LGBTI people in the enlargement countries, and identifying priorities.
The EU’s enlargement process has leverage and needs to be fully used to support the adoption of important legislation protecting the fundamental rights of LGBTI persons, as well as call out governments which advance laws that run contrary to the EU principles of fundamental rights, democracy and rule of law.
LGBTI organisations in the enlargement region call on the EU to continue support for the necessary reforms to bring national level protections for LGBTI persons in line with international and EU standards, and for the EU to step up its support.
In particular we request the EU to be more explicit in its annual Enlargement Report on the need for the various priorities outlined in this LGBTI Enlargement Review, call out non-implementation of existing legislation and court judgements, and reference the growing body of CJEU and ECtHR jurisprudence in support of legal advancements.
