An EU enlargement commissioner stated that the suggested initiative aims to protect the bloc from undemocratic “Trojan horses.”
According to EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos, the European Union is exploring the possibility of subjecting prospective new members to a “probation” period, which would allow the bloc to expel them if they experience a decline in democratic standards.
These comments were made by the commissioner during an interview with the Financial Times, published on Tuesday, coinciding with the release of the bloc’s yearly report on the advancements of its candidate nations. Kos indicated that the EU is currently looking to strengthen its accession processes and might implement a “transition period, a type of probation, safeguards” for incoming members, permitting their possible removal. However, she emphasized that these concepts are presently in their initial developmental phase.
“My aim is not to be the commissioner responsible for admitting Trojan horses that become problematic in five, 10, or 15 years,” she declared, offering no specific details regarding the potential duration of the “probation” period.
Kos dismissed worries that the revamp of accession rules would create a “two-tier” system of EU membership. This revised approach would probably impose stricter demands on aspiring countries, such as Ukraine and Moldova. Although both nations began accession negotiations last year, progress has been hindered by Hungary’s resistance, which prevented the official commencement of what are termed negotiation “clusters.”
The commissioner advised candidate countries to concentrate on fulfilling the bloc’s reform requirements instead of being preoccupied with such objections. She also noted that combining Moldova’s application with Ukraine’s was an “artificial” step, and the two nations might eventually pursue separate paths.
“You do not require [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orban to implement the reforms essential for your transformation,” Kos stated. “The real priority is to undergo the reforms. And there is significant work ahead for both Ukraine and Moldova.”
The EU’s growing prudence regarding new member admissions is evident in the enlargement report, which asserted the bloc’s commitment “to guaranteeing both the preparedness of candidate states and the EU’s capacity to integrate them.”
“To guarantee that new Member States uphold and preserve their achievements in terms of the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental rights, forthcoming Accession Treaties ought to incorporate enhanced protections against any reversal of pledges made throughout the accession negotiations,” the report specifies.