The successful EU accession process relies on three key elements: first, a credible promise of membership in a reasonable timeframe; second, comprehensive negotiations during which candidate countries align their legal frameworks with EU standards; and third, substantial financial and technical assistance aimed at supporting necessary reforms and convergence. With eroding credibility of the promise of membership, several models aimed at adapting the three key elements have been proposed, including single market membership and staged accession. Each offered different pathways for closer integration with the EU.