The European Commission proposed measures on Tuesday to prepare for new members like Ukraine and Moldova. The plan includes a rule to suspend a new member's voting rights if it stops following bloc values. These reforms aim to manage political costs as the European Union looks toward future expansion plans.
BRUSSELS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Tuesday proposed measures to prepare the EU to take in countries such as Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova in coming years while trying to reassure existing members about potential political and economic costs.
The proposals by the European Union's executive body reflect a renewed interest among EU members in expanding the 27-nation bloc, driven largely by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Kyiv's desire to join the bloc as part of a peace settlement.
The proposed reforms include a measure to allow other EU countries to suspend a new member's voting rights during the first 15 years of membership if it stops adhering to the bloc's values, and a plan to limit financial support to Ukraine's large farming sector.
Reporting by Andrew Gray, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout
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Andrew Gray
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Andrew Gray is Reuters' European Affairs Editor. Based in Brussels, he covers NATO and the European Union and leads a pan-European team of reporters focused on diplomacy, defence and security. A journalist for almost 30 years, he has previously been based in the UK, Germany, Geneva, the Balkans, West Africa and Washington, where he reported on the Pentagon. He covered the Iraq war in 2003 and contributed a chapter to a Reuters book on the conflict. He has also worked at Politico Europe as a senior editor and podcast host, served as the main editor for a fellowship programme for journalists from the Balkans, and contributed to the BBC's From Our Own Correspondent radio show.