Brussels proposes ditching unanimity on sanctions and enlargement
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REUTERS/Yves Herman
The European Commission has proposed replacing unanimous
voting with qualified-majority voting on issues including sanctions and EU
enlargement, according to a statement
published on Oct. 6.
The commission said that, given current geopolitical
conditions, the EU must adapt its governance system to make decision-making
“faster and more effective.”
“Today, we are laying the groundwork to ensure that a larger
Union is also a stronger one: more resilient, more effective, and firmly
anchored in the values and rules that define us,” the statement quoted Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen.
“As enlargement countries advance on their path of reform,
the EU must be ready to welcome them. This means preparing our institutions,
adapting our policies for new realities, and ensuring our budget reflects our
shared ambitions.”
The EU’s executive body will also review existing proposals
to determine where enhanced cooperation could help overcome prolonged deadlocks
in decision-making.
In the area of enlargement, the commission proposed using
qualified-majority voting to open negotiating clusters and adopt other interim
decisions during accession talks. It said this would make the process more
dynamic.
The commission said annual reports on enlargement and the
rule of law would continue to serve as the main monitoring tools. Their scope
would be expanded to other candidate countries as they become ready.
Commenting on the gradual integration of candidate countries
into the European Union, the commission said it believes closer ties should
bring tangible benefits to citizens and businesses both inside the bloc and in
candidate countries.
Euronews previously reported that Austria, Denmark, Belgium,
Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and
Sweden had urged EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in a letter to end the
ability of a single country to block bloc-wide decisions.
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