The European Commission is considering the idea of introducing a "probationary period" for new EU members, which would allow temporarily restricting their rights or even excluding them from the bloc in case of violation of democratic norms. This is reported by Financial Times, according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that such an initiative aims to strengthen control over the observance of the principles of democracy, media freedom, and judicial independence. In particular, concerns are raised by potential candidates for accession - Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkan states, which after integration may begin to deviate from the standards of democracy, media freedom, and judicial independence.
This proposal emerged against the backdrop of the resumption of the EU enlargement process after a multi-year pause caused by Russia's war against Ukraine. At the same time, the experience with Hungary, where Viktor Orban's government systematically violates democratic principles, forces Brussels to act more cautiously.
As the European Commissioner for Enlargement noted, "I don't want to be remembered as the commissioner who brought in Trojan horses that are active in five, ten, or fifteen years."
According to her, European capitals express much more restraint in closed negotiations than in public statements about supporting new members.
As part of the new initiative, the European Commission plans to strengthen mechanisms for protecting the rule of law and introduce tools that will allow temporarily restricting the rights or privileges of a member state in case of systemic violations of EU values.
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The document also stipulates that in case of repeated violations, a country may be excluded from the European Union. Such a proposal is likely to cause reservations from Ukraine and other accession candidates, who may perceive it as biased or discriminatory.
Recall
On Tuesday, November 4, the European Commission presented the annual Enlargement Package, noting Ukraine's progress in key reforms and fulfilling the conditions for opening negotiation clusters. The Commission believes that accelerating the pace of reforms, especially regarding the rule of law, is necessary to achieve Ukraine's ambitious goal of accession by the end of 2028.