The decision was taken at a meeting of the college of EU commissioners in Strasbourg, according to a correspondent for European Pravda. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said after the session: “The EU can take in a larger number of members. But there are areas where we see challenges that we need to solve.”
The documents adopted deal mainly with how the EU’s existing treaty base and future accession treaties can be used to prepare the union for more members. Kos named the rule of law and the EU’s fundamental values as one problem area. She said the Commission is proposing stronger mechanisms to prevent backsliding, including cutting funding or restricting voting rights.
As a second focus, Kos named targeted mechanisms for integrating Ukraine’s agricultural sector. The Commission also wants to propose ways to make EU institutions more compact and faster at making decisions. The package also places weight on the gradual integration of candidate countries.
According to information from European Pravda from circles involved in the preparations, the Commission expects broad approval at the level of EU heads of state and government by the end of 2026. The next step would be approval by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament. The first high-level debate on the proposals is to take place at the European Council meeting on 15 and 16 October. The plan is for the European Council to task the Commission with drafting the relevant legislation and presenting it to member state capitals.
The EU is also working on proposals under which four countries seen as frontrunners of European integration – Montenegro, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Albania – would receive roadmaps to membership. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Enlargement Commissioner Kos have said they will propose changes to the EU’s internal operating mechanisms to put safeguards in place that prevent new members from undermining core policy areas or shirking their obligations.
Source: www.pravda.com.ua
