United in Autonomy? The Question of EU Internal Enlargement

Before setting out some observations on the topic which was assigned to me, I would like to start with a general disclaimer: the problem which we are discussing today is, ultimately, a fundamentally political issue. Discussing the legal challenges which an EU region vying for independence will encounter inevitably draws one into political questions. However, in my intervention I will try to keep a clear legal focus, leaving the political issues to the political actors.Turning to the assigned topic, it is worth pointing out the assumptions which underlie the question on 'internal enlargement.' Thus, should a region of an EU Member State become independent, it would indeed be in the economic and political interest of that region to try and secure its own EU membership as fast and smoothly as possible, as a matter of self-preservation. Secondly, the notion of enlargement already hints at the hurdles which such a region would have to overcome, similarly to the challenges faced by a third country when it applies for membership of the EU under Article 49 TEU.