Special rules for Ukrainian agriculture
The Commission openly admits that the scale, structure and very high productivity of the Ukrainian agricultural sector require special solutions. Therefore, it proposes a significant reduction in financial support and access to the EU market for sensitive agricultural products from Ukraine. The document does not mention these sensitive products, but it is known that these include, for example, cereals, poultry and sugar.
This was one of Poland's most important demands. Warsaw has long warned that full opening of the EU market to Ukraine's huge agricultural sector could hit European farmers hard. Without these restrictions, which are intended to protect EU farmers, it would be difficult to obtain Poland's consent to Ukraine's membership. The EC understood this, hence these provisions. At the same time, Brussels assures that it wants to help Ukraine regain traditional export markets outside the EU. It's mainly about North Africa.
15 years of additional protection
Brussels also proposes a new "institutional protection clause", which is to apply for 15 years from the entry of the new country into the Union. In the event of serious problems, it will be possible to apply special protective measures and, in the most serious cases, even suspend the state's voting rights in the EU Council. The mechanism is to be activated in a procedure in which a qualified majority is needed to block the action, which means an end to the veto that blocked actions, for example, against Viktor Orban's Hungary or against Poland during the PiS era. Safeguards are intended to be temporary, reversible and regularly reviewed. This means that Member States are to receive additional tools to respond even after enlargement if the new country fails to meet its obligations.
Less blocking possibilities
The Commission also wants to limit the ability of the new country to block certain decisions regarding future EU enlargements and bilateral disputes. However, it is not about completely removing the right of veto in all matters. It's about a time commitment for specific decisions.
At the same time, Brussels proposes that the opening of subsequent negotiation clusters should be carried out by a qualified majority. This would prevent one Member State from stopping the next stage of accession negotiations on its own.
No shortcuts
From the Polish point of view, it is also important that the Commission does not propose an accelerated path to membership. Future countries are expected to continue to go through the normal reform process and their progress will be assessed.
The EC wants to take away the right of veto from EU countries
The most controversial from the Polish point of view may be the proposal to limit the veto rights of member states during accession negotiations. The Commission wants the opening of further clusters and other indirect decisions to be made by qualified majority, and not unanimously. Brussels has long been warning that during the negotiations, about 70 decisions are made unanimously, even on technical issues, which paralyzes the entire process.
Today, only Hungary exercises veto power over Ukraine. Budapest, even under the government of Peter Magyar, is forcing Kiev to give more rights to the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, blocking the opening of further clusters.
After the change, one country could no longer independently stop the opening of another cluster. For Poland, however, this would also mean the loss of an important pressure tool. Warsaw could not use its veto at an early stage of negotiations to force Ukraine to implement specific solutions important for Polish interests. The veto power could be used to close down negotiation departments. However, then the pressure to complete the negotiations could be too great to effectively enforce solutions favorable to Poland.
The final decision on what the procedure will look like will be made by EU countries.
