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Five founding countries of the European Union have proposed stronger rules for future EU accessions, demanding that the enlargement process be accompanied by additional safeguards, particularly in the areas of the rule of law and voting rights.
According to a non-legal document cited by Reuters, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg support the creation of a new model for future accession treaties for candidate countries.
The document argues that future enlargements cannot simply be based on the models used in previous rounds of accession.
"A copy-and-paste of previous accession treaties will not be sufficient," the text states, underlining the need for improvements that would guarantee the strengthening of the European Union after enlargement.
According to the document, maintaining political and public support for the enlargement process is essential, especially considering that accession treaties must be ratified by all member states.
"This will be key to maintaining and increasing political and public support for enlargement, which in turn is essential in light of the required ratification of the accession treaties in all Member States," the document notes.
The five states propose the creation of a general framework for future accession treaties, which can then be adapted to the specifics of each candidate country.
"What is needed is a general model for future accession treaties and catalogues of options to choose from, which can then be flexibly adapted and supplemented depending on the challenges that each accession may bring," it further states.
One of the key elements of the proposal is to strengthen the safeguards that have been used in previous EU enlargements. The document suggests that these mechanisms should be maintained, but also expanded to respond to new challenges.
"These safeguards (in the field of Justice and Home Affairs, the internal market or the economic situation) should be included again in future accession treaties, however we need to assess whether they are still sufficiently broad in scope to respond to current challenges," the document states.
In addition to existing measures, the creation of new instruments in areas such as economic security and protection against foreign interference is also proposed.
A significant part of the document is devoted to the rule of law. The authors argue that the European Union should have stronger tools to react if a member state deviates from democratic standards or violates the union's fundamental values.
For this reason, a "non-regression clause" is proposed, which would prevent any backsliding in respect for European values.
"In the event of a (potential) violation, (an investigation into) the use of, e.g., financial instruments of the rule of law, the violation procedure and a new safeguard clause, depending on a specific situation, should automatically follow," the document stipulates.
Another proposal envisages the expansion of protective clauses beyond the three-year period that has been used so far, in cases where a serious regression in the rule of law, democracy or media freedom is observed.
The document also suggests that participation in the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) be made a prerequisite for the admission of new members to the European Union.
Another point that could spark debate is the idea of temporary restrictions on voting rights for new member states in areas where decision-making requires unanimity.
"The EU should hold an in-depth discussion on the possibility of temporary and transitional restrictions on voting rights for new member states, in specific parts of the EU acquis where unanimity is required," the document states.
According to the authors, the coming period will be crucial for the drafting of a new model of accession treaties, which will aim to ensure that future enlargement does not weaken, but rather strengthens, the functioning and sustainability of the European Union.
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