EU candidates question 15-year voting rights safeguard plan
Proposed safeguards for new members would allow voting rights to be suspended unless a qualified majority of existing members opposed the decision.
Countries seeking EU membership have expressed concern over a European Commission proposal for a 15-year probation period after accession. During that period, serious violations of EU rules and values could lead to the suspension of a new member’s voting rights. Candidates fear the arrangement could leave them with unequal status or expose them to political pressure.
The Commission describes the safeguard as temporary and says it would not discriminate against newcomers. Its proposal contains no mechanism for renewal. Nevertheless, Obrad Kesić, head of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s mission to the EU, warned that extensions or obstacles to ending probation could make the status permanent.
The proposed procedure could begin with action by the Commission or a reasoned request from member states. A suspension would proceed unless a qualified majority opposed it. By contrast, the existing Article 7 procedure requires unanimous agreement among the other members to impose such measures. Candidates are concerned that the proposed threshold could facilitate pressure over bilateral disputes.
Petar Marković, Montenegro’s ambassador to the EU, has called for assessments to use objective criteria and focus on systematic breaches. A Commission official said active monitoring would supplement expanded rule-of-law reports and information gathered through Article 7. France and the Netherlands have sought stronger protections against democratic backsliding after accession.
The proposals are non-binding, and the procedural details would be negotiated in each accession treaty. Moldova’s deputy prime minister for European integration, Cristina Gherasimov, said her country continued to seek full EU membership with equal responsibilities and rights.
