"No more Orbáns": EU prepares stricter conditions for new members
The European Commission has prepared proposals aimed at accelerating the admission of new states to the European Union and preventing backsliding on democratic principles after accession. Among them is a special 15-year monitoring period for new members: if the rule of law and fundamental values are violated, funding and voting rights can be suspended.
"No more Orbáns": EU prepares stricter conditions for new members
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced a package of proposals in Strasbourg on October 6. According to her, initial assessments showed that the union is ready for expansion, but changes are necessary in certain areas.
One of the European Commission's main goals is to facilitate the adoption of certain interim decisions in membership negotiations. In particular, it is proposed to replace the unanimity requirement with a qualified majority vote on issues such as opening negotiation clusters.
This is expected to help reduce instances where the entire process could be halted due to a veto by a single state.
It is planned to give candidate countries more opportunities even before they become full members. Countries that have implemented the designated reforms may participate more broadly in certain EU programs, funds, and sectoral cooperation.
This refers, among other things, to the fields of energy, transport, artificial intelligence, security, and defense. Kos emphasized that gradual integration would not replace full membership, but rather accelerate its achievement.
Additional protection mechanisms are also being proposed for new members. Brussels wants to ensure that countries do not subsequently backslide on the democratic requirements they met to join the union.
According to the proposal, if basic democratic values or the principle of sincere cooperation are violated during the 15 years following accession, the respective state's funding from the EU budget and even its voting rights could be suspended.
"No more Viktor Orbáns," said Marta Kos. She stated the need for faster action mechanisms compared to the current Article 7 procedure.
Special conditions regarding Ukraine's agriculture are also being discussed. The European Commission believes that the scale and high productivity of the country's agricultural sector could affect EU markets. For this reason, it is envisaged to develop special mechanisms for certain sensitive product types.
While protecting European farmers, Kos promised to help Ukraine return to its traditional export markets in third countries. These issues will be discussed within the framework of agricultural negotiations.