There Are Plans To Simplify The Process For New Countries To Join The EU
- 1.10.2026, 17:29
The media has learned the details.
The European Commission is drafting new rules on European Union enlargement, which are intended to make the accession process for new member states more predictable and reduce the possibility of individual countries arbitrarily blocking decisions. This is reported by "Radio Free Europe" reports, citing a draft of the so-called "pre-enlargement strategy," which the European Commission plans to officially present on October 6.
According to the publication, the European Commission does not anticipate a fundamental overhaul of EU policies or institutions. However, some of the changes can be implemented without revising existing treaties. Among the key proposals is the broader use of qualified majority voting in place of the unanimity principle. The authors of the document note that as the number of EU members grows, so too will the risk of delays and the blocking of decisions due to each country’s veto power.
The European Commission proposes extending the principle of qualified majority voting to the intermediate stages of accession negotiations, specifically to the opening and closing of negotiation chapters. The document emphasizes that the final decision on accession will still require unanimity, while interim decisions may be made differently. According to the European Commission’s plan, this will make the negotiation process more efficient.
In addition, it is proposed that new members be subject to temporary obligations not to block Council decisions requiring unanimity, particularly on issues related to further EU enlargement. The European Commission also intends to strengthen safeguards to ensure that new members do not deviate from their commitments in the areas of the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental rights.
Another proposal concerns economic safeguards, as well as the internal market and justice: it is proposed to extend their duration after accession from three to ten years, although the final duration is still under discussion.
The document also provides for the gradual integration of candidate countries into the EU, particularly in the areas of security, defense, and the single market. At the same time, progress on reforms should open up new opportunities for the candidates.