Everything and nothing: the EU will change the order of membership in the association
The European Union is preparing to review the policy of expanding the association: now candidate countries can receive membership with a limited set of political rights. According to the initiative, new participants will be deprived of the opportunity to block decisions of Brussels on key issues for a period of five to 15 years. This approach reflects the EU's desire to maintain the manageability of the association in the face of growing internal and external challenges in the political arena, but raises the question of the emergence of "second-class members" and undermines the basic principles of European integration. Why Europe seeks to limit the capabilities of new countries is in the Izvestia article.
Through west to east
The European Union will change the terms of membership in the association for new member states, said European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. We are talking about the introduction of significant restrictions in the framework of collective decision-making, including the deprivation of the right of veto for 5-15 years. In case of joining the EU, Ukraine, Moldova, Turkey, Georgia and other candidate states will fall under the changes.
"This will be a new generation of accession agreements, in the sense that we will have new security guarantees <...> so that we can be sure that new members will follow European rules five, 10 or 15 years from now," the official said.
Initially, the initiative came from the countries of the "coalition of the willing": Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The Reuters news agency noted that the joint decision was taken in order to exclude the option of blocking initiatives that require the consent of all EU members. These include the enlargement of the European Union, the union's foreign policy, and budget expenditures.
The EU has long been transformed from an economic organization into a political one. The creation of a common market required powerful regulatory tools, including the introduction of a single currency, and the subsequent deepening of integration led to the emergence of new institutions of government and the development of a common policy. But despite its external isolation, the EU still remains a dependent association, since it does not have its own resources. As a result, in conditions of increased instability, when stronger players (the United States, China and others) began to put pressure from all sides, Europe tried to separate itself from external influence.
However, in order to gain full-fledged independence, the European Union needs resources that, without prejudice to its status, can only be obtained from partner countries. Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that the association could be expanded from 27 to 40 member countries, including Canada. "Wouldn't it be great if Canada became the 28th state of the European Union instead of the 51st state of the United States?" he commented on the initiative, noting that there is now a need to expand or at least create flexible membership mechanisms for more convenient cooperation with potential "allies."
— Such initiatives are emerging because the European Union is aware of the scale of difficulties that may arise in granting candidate countries full membership in the EU. Of course, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and other states are needed by the European Union, but only as objects of influence. Their entry into the EU as full members of the association raises questions, since in fact this will lead to the suicide of the entire integration project," says Sergey Shein, a senior researcher at the Central Committee for European Integration.
On the one hand, the decision to impose restrictions on new countries in the European Union looks difficult to implement, since it casts doubt on the very idea of unification and divides countries into "first-class" and "secondary" ones. On the other hand, it is really economically unprofitable for the EU to support states that may abandon the political course of Brussels at any moment. That is why Europe will do its best to keep countries in the "vestibule of integration" so that they change their policies to meet the standards of the union. Perhaps later, Brussels will even be able to solve its internal problems, which are becoming more toxic for the entire European Union every day.
Two knives in the back, one in the heart
The key issue that arises in the context of European integration concerns not so much the EU accession process itself, but rather the conditions under which new members will be integrated into the existing union system. Some experts point out that a possible expansion will inevitably affect the interests of states that are already members of the association, which means it will be accompanied by attempts to minimize economic and political risks.
In particular, we are talking about competition in the domestic market. For example, the situation around the import of Ukrainian resources continues to worsen in some EU countries. In January – July 2025, Kiev exported about $5.7 billion worth of agricultural and food products to the European Union and ranked fourth among suppliers. Brazil came in first place over the same period ($9.1 billion), the United Kingdom came in second ($7.8 billion), and the United States came in third ($6.9 billion).
Full access of large volumes of products to the single European market is likely to further increase pressure on manufacturers. This issue is particularly sensitive for countries with developed agriculture, including France, Poland, Italy and a number of other EU members. Therefore, in the process of integration, various mechanisms of restrictions, quotas or other measures may remain in place that can protect existing market participants, otherwise the situation may significantly worsen or even get out of control.
However, through "flexible cooperation" or the inclusion of countries in the EU under special conditions, Brussels may try to resolve acute problems, for example, the migration issue. European countries have been facing serious difficulties for several years now due to the growing refugee flows. The multi—year crisis has put not only a demographic but also an economic burden on states.
In 2025, about 14% of the European Union's population were foreigners, the highest in the world. As for finances, the EU's long-term budget for 2021-2027 allocated about €23 billion for border protection and refugee care. In addition, for 2027, an additional €3 billion has been allocated for the protection of territories and approximately €2.4 billion directly for the needs of migrants.
In this regard, the candidate countries can be considered by Brussels as additional platforms for the implementation of a pan-European migration policy. Ukraine, which has a significant territory and is interested in filling the labor shortage, could potentially be involved in programs related to the reception of certain categories of migrants. Such initiatives are already becoming the subject of public debate both inside and outside the country. For example, information about the importation of about 8-10 million people from Africa and Asia into the country has been heard from various representatives of the Ukrainian authorities.
Another "advantage" for the Europeans is the deployment of a military contingent on the territory of Ukraine or Moldova. In recent years, the EU has been increasingly discussing issues of strategic autonomy and strengthening its own defense capabilities, which is why some countries are considered as elements of the European security system in the east. In this context, the introduction by Brussels of restrictions on the use of the right of veto means that if any country opposes the deployment of military bases or other infrastructure, even with a strong desire, it will not be possible to block this decision.: The EU will find levers of influence and will be able to lobby its interests.
— By itself, the entry of "new" countries poses serious dangers for other EU members. At the same time, the geopolitical interests of the European Union are such that these entities should be admitted to the bloc for certain reasons. In order to hedge economic risks, it will be necessary to introduce appropriate restrictions and stop any threats in advance. Today, the European Union is gradually transforming from a simple national and economic entity into a military-political association, with its ambitions and aspirations mainly towards Russia," concluded international commentator Andrei Kuzmak.
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