The Commission published a package of documents on preparing the Union for future enlargement and is proposing a shift from unanimous voting to qualified majority voting on sanctions, the opening of negotiating clusters and intermediate decisions in accession talks.
The package, “Preparing for a wider Union,” was adopted on Tuesday. It sets out the measures the Commission says are needed for the EU to take in new members without waiting for a treaty revision. The press release says that, in the current geopolitical conditions, the Union must adapt its system of governance and make decision-making “swifter and more effective.”
“To this end, the Commission will continue to advocate the use of passerelle clauses to move from unanimity to qualified majority voting in key areas such as sanctions, tax fraud and fiscal measures in energy policy,” the statement says.
Separately, the Commission proposes using qualified majority voting to open negotiating clusters and to take other intermediate decisions during accession negotiations, so that the process moves more dynamically. According to Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, only the decisions to open and to conclude a country’s accession procedure would remain unanimous. She said the number of areas subject to qualified majority voting should be expanded “so that one country can no longer block necessary decisions.”
This is not an immediate abolition of the veto. Passerelle clauses are already provided for in the Treaties but activating them itself requires unanimity among the member states and, in some cases, the consent of the European Parliament and national parliaments. The Commission also intends to review pending proposals and assess where a prolonged deadlock could be overcome through enhanced cooperation among a group of countries.
The Commission proposes working with the European Parliament and the Council to make Article 7 procedures of the Treaty on European Union more effective, including by setting timeframes. For new members, an institutional safeguard is envisaged in the event of serious breaches of Article 2 values and of the principle of sincere cooperation: in the most serious cases, this could include the suspension of voting rights in the Council. Transitional restrictions are also possible, covering the free movement of workers and services, agriculture, sensitive products, funding and participation in common systems.
As part of the 2026 enlargement package, the Commission also intends to present indicative roadmaps for Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine, provided they maintain the pace of reforms. The proposals must be agreed by the member states: without their consent, the move away from unanimity will not take effect.
