EU Commissioner Marta Kos proposes temporary veto limits for new members

EU Commissioner for enlargement Marta Kos announced that future EU members could be subject to new “protective clauses” in their accession treaties. The clauses would temporarily limit a country's right to veto in key policy areas – such as the EU budget, security and foreign policy – for a period of up to fifteen years after accession. The aim is to ensure that new members continue to respect EU rules on democracy, the rule of law and media freedom. Kos said this does not create a second‑class or associate status; full membership remains possible once all conditions are met. The proposal follows requests from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg for additional safeguards and comes as Ukraine and Moldova begin formal accession negotiations.