Five EU countries propose protection mechanisms for future EU members

The European Union should consider temporarily restricting some of the voting rights of future new members and introducing additional mechanisms to protect the rule of law, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg wrote in a joint document seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

With Montenegro hoping to join the EU in 2028 and Albania, Ukraine and Moldova looking to move forward with their accession bids, discussions are ongoing among European governments about whether the rules for new members should be changed.

Some capitals are now advocating for the EU to develop stronger protection mechanisms for future members, partly because of the bloc's experiences with democratic backsliding in Hungary under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The document outlined possible options that could be included in future accession treaties, including a new monitoring mechanism and a safeguard clause that would allow measures to be taken in the event of serious setbacks in areas such as democracy and media freedom.

"The EU should hold in-depth discussions on the possibility of temporary, transitional restrictions on voting rights for new member states, especially in areas of EU law where unanimity is required," the five countries wrote, pointing to decisions on enlargement, foreign policy and the EU budget, where the consent of all members is currently required.

Cyprus, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said last week it had begun preparations to formally open negotiations on the first group of negotiation chapters, covering the rule of law and democratic standards, with Ukraine and Moldova.

"Ukraine belongs to the EU. All six accession clusters should be opened without delay. NATO must remain on the table as the strongest security guarantee," Estonian Prime Minister Kristin Michal said at the X after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday in Tallinn.