Constitutional Identity in EU Membership

Main question: How can the EU ensure candidate states align with its core values when accession mainly measures legislative compliance rather than constitutional culture?

Argument: The EU should introduce a Constitutional Identity Convergence Assessment (CICA) to evaluate candidates’ highest court jurisprudence over a decade.

Conclusion: CICA would close a key legal gap and make future EU enlargement more credible, stable, and structurally durable.