EU plans probation period for new members — what we know

The European Commission, led by Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, is proposing the introduction of a "probationary period" for new EU members. This mechanism would allow the bloc to temporarily restrict certain rights or even expel a member state if it deviates from democratic principles. The initiative aims to strengthen oversight of democracy and the rule of law in the context of the EU’s upcoming enlargement.

This was reported by the Financial Times.

Probationary period for new EU members — details

The European Commission is considering introducing a probationary mechanism for countries joining the European Union. The system would allow the EU to temporarily restrict rights or even suspend membership if a state violates democratic principles.

It is noted that the European Commission is currently working on proposals that would not only strengthen oversight of compliance with the rule of law but also enable swift responses in cases where a country deviates from the EU’s core values. In particular, the proposals envisage the temporary restriction of a member state's participation in EU institutions in cases of systemic violations.

This step is linked to concerns in several European capitals that potential new members — including Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkan countries — might weaken standards of democracy, media freedom, and judicial independence after accession.

The initiative emerged against the backdrop of the renewed EU enlargement process, which had been largely stagnant for more than a decade. Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has made the integration of neighboring states one of Brussels’ top priorities.

At the same time, experience with Hungary — where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has systematically violated democratic norms and weakened sanctions pressure on Moscow — has made the European Union more cautious.

The European Commissioner for Enlargement stated that she does not want to "go down as the commissioner bringing in the Trojan horses who will be then active in five, 10 or 15 years," referring to states that could abandon democratic principles after joining the bloc.

According to her, during private discussions, European capitals express far more restraint than in their public statements of support for new members.

Under the new framework, the European Commission proposes to strengthen guarantees of the rule of law and introduce a mechanism for the temporary suspension of certain rights or benefits of a state in the event of systemic violations of EU values. If such violations are repeated, the document would even allow for the exclusion of a country from the bloc.

According to analysts, such an approach could provoke a mixed reaction from candidate countries, particularly Ukraine and Moldova, which might view it as discriminatory.

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