EU discusses safeguards for future members: probation of up to 15 years and possible suspension of voting rights
Ambassadors discussed the Commission’s proposal for the first time on October 28. Nothing has been adopted, and North Macedonia is not mentioned in the available reports.
On October 28, ambassadors of EU member states held their first official discussion within the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER 2) on a European Commission proposal for new safeguards for the Union’s future members. According to the portal EUalive, nothing has been adopted, technical work continues, and a new discussion is expected in November. The announcement was also carried by Euronews and other portals. Below is an overview of what is on the table.
The main idea. The Commission proposes a new institutional safeguard clause. It would allow the Union to act against a new member that seriously breaches fundamental values or the principle of sincere cooperation. In the gravest cases this could include suspending its voting rights in the Council. The proposal envisages a probation period of up to 15 years after accession.
How the clause would work. Once activated, the member would have at least two weeks to submit observations. The Commission’s proposal would take effect within two weeks, unless a qualified majority rejects or amends it.
Pre-accession measures. Monitoring is envisaged from the signing of the accession treaty until membership. The Commission also proposes that accession could be postponed by qualified majority if the candidate country is unlikely to meet the standards in time. The length of the postponement has not been settled.
Other safeguards. According to EUalive, these include a non-binding declaration against vetoing enlargement over bilateral disputes, possible temporary suspension of certain judicial decisions, Schengen conditions tied to the rule of law and anti-corruption, and economic safeguards longer than three years that can be extended by qualified majority.
Who thinks what. The Netherlands and France are named as supporters of tougher rules, while Italy and Austria, as “Friends of the Western Balkans”, warn that overly rigid safeguards could slow enlargement. The earlier accession treaties of Romania and Bulgaria and the Croatian model for economic safeguards are mentioned as examples.
First test. Montenegro, the frontrunner among Western Balkan candidates, is seen as the first case where the rules could apply.
What is not mentioned. North Macedonia is not mentioned in the available reports. It is also not announced when the rules could be adopted, or whether they would apply to all future members or only some. We therefore do not assess how they would affect the Macedonian path to membership.
Why it matters for candidates. The rules would change conditions after accession, not before it, so candidates do not yet know whether they will accept them in that form. The declaration against vetoes over bilateral disputes could touch the disputes that block some candidates, but that is our interpretation, not a published assessment.
What to follow. The November discussion in COREPER, the positions of Italy and Austria and whether the declaration against vetoes over bilateral disputes takes concrete form. The enlargement package is expected on November 4, and it will then be seen how the Commission fits the safeguards into its assessments.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 31, 2026
