EU Commission to propose ending unanimity veto for future enlargements
EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said the Commission will soon present a proposal to replace the unanimity rule with qualified majority voting for new members.
Marta Kos, the EU's enlargement commissioner, told reporters that the Commission is preparing a formal suggestion to change the unanimity requirement that currently governs accession and foreign-policy decisions. The new text, expected by the end of September or early October, would introduce qualified majority voting, meaning a decision could pass once a defined group of member states agrees. Kos pointed to past instances where a single country's veto, such as Hungary’s block on Ukraine talks, delayed critical actions.
She noted that the reform is one of four internal changes the Commission aims to advance. The proposal will be placed on the agenda of the EU summit scheduled for mid-October, though any rule change itself still needs unanimous approval. Eleven member states, including France and Germany, have already called for limiting the veto power.
