Seven EU countries are calling for the abolition of the principle of unanimity (100% consensus) in voting on foreign policy issues. They published their position in Politico magazine.
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The decision for its adoption must be supported by absolutely all EU member states.
The foreign ministers of Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia and Spain are calling for a transition to qualified majority voting – where a majority vote is enough, not all (55% of member states representing at least 65% of the EU population).
The vast majority of EU foreign policy decisions need unanimity, which in some cases can slow down our ability to act. It was in spite of, not because of, these rules that we were able to agree on 10 packages of sanctions against Russia in response to its war of aggression against a sovereign state, the ministers said in a statement.
They also suggest greater use of “constructive abstention” where a country can oppose but not block decisions.
They believe that in this way the European Union will be able to make decisions more effectively in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Dissenting countries that are “concerned” about a possible innovation, promises to take their opinion into account to make “the best decisions for our collective interests.”
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.