Brussels changes its rules about the EU expansion through a 15-year clause to protect the EU

Translated by Martina Ravasi

The enlargement of the European Union is again at the core of Brussels agenda. However, there is some crucial news. Indeed, the main purpose is welcoming new member states without putting the European pillars at risk or hampering the decisional process once new members have entered the organisation. In this regard, the European Commission has put forward a new guideline introducing some guarantees that will modify the future accession process significantly.

The most relevant measure is a new safeguard clause applicable to new member states. According to it, up to 15 years from their entry in the EU, Brussels is allowed to intervene in case of serious violations of the rule of law, as well as European values and the principle of loyal cooperation. Consequences of these violations include the suspension of European fonds and the right to vote within the Council in worst cases.

This clause can be better explained if we think about the relations with Hungary over the last few years. Currently, article 7 of the EU Treaties stipulates that the organisation can intervene in case of serious violations of the EU values. However, its implementation has always been politically hard. This is the reason why the Commission wants more efficient and quick tools to be introduced in future treaties aiming to counter potential democracy regressions after entering the EU.

Last August the European Commissioner for the enlargement – Marta Kos – already brought forward this idea, underlying the need to avoid the entry of new "Trojan horses" in the EU. The issue doesn't only concern the safeguard of democratic values, but also the capability of the EU to make decisions within in an international context that may soon include more than 30 states.

This issue is inevitably intertwined with Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and Montenegro - whose accession procedures are the most advanced. It's Montenegro that may be the first test bench of the new guarantees, since it's currently the most advanced country in terms of accession process.

Nevertheless, the strategy of the Commission isn't simply limited to the introduction of new systems of control. Indeed, the second pillar is a gradual integration. This means that those countries that make progress in specific reforms may have access to certain European policies and programs before their full accession to the organisation. The gradual integration may concern some sectors such as energy, transportation, security, defence and the single market, as well as the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programs.

The aim is to turn the accession process from a long-lasting one into a progressive one, where benefits increase as long as reforms continue. This system would be conditional, meritocratic and reversible, since any regression may result in the loss of those benefits that were previously obtained. However, a political issue remains to be addressed. The introduction of specific rules for new countries could raise concern over a two-speed Europe, where new member states temporarily have less guarantees than the others. Brussels rejects this interpretation, since the clause is necessary tool to protect the functioning of the EU.

Therefore, this new strategy highlights the dilemma that will be the protagonist of the next European enlargement - accelerating the integration is fundamental to address new geopolitical challenges but the decisional capability and the democratic nature of the EU are not to be jeopardized. For Brussels the enlargement of the EU doesn't simply means becoming bigger, but it is important that a bigger Europe is also more stable, effective and cohesive.

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