SCOOP — VDL FLOATS GRADUAL ACCESS FOR EU CANDIDATE COUNTRIES: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will today present proposals that would change how the EU admits new members. Rather than the current all-or-nothing approach, Brussels wants to gradually ease Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans into the EU, according to a draft obtained by my colleague Barbara Moens.
The idea: This would allow countries in the EU waiting room to reap some membership benefits, rather than waiting for years or decades while they undertake the necessary reforms. In particular, Brussels is proposing to gradually allow accession countries to join the single market — drawing from a proposal by France, Germany and Portugal first scooped by Playbook last year.
No cherry-picking: In a line reminiscent of the Brexit days, the Commission warns that single market rights and obligations “cannot be à la carte” — but that the Union’s leaders will need to discuss which degrees or steps of access should come with what obligations.
Scrapping vetoes — with safeguards: Most EU leaders have already warned that a Union with 30+ members will be even harder to govern. Brussels proposes moving away from the unanimity requirement (which bogs down decisions on foreign and tax policy) to avoid future deadlocks. The document floats qualified majority voting “with appropriate and proportionate safeguards to accommodate such strategic national interests.”
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Coy on treaty change: The Commission insists that getting rid of unanimity does not require EU treaty change, given a pathway is already written into the current treaties via the so-called passerelle clauses that allow countries to change voting rules (via unanimous vote).
What’s next: The 27 European commissioners are set to endorse the document at today’s College meeting. As we reported on Tuesday, some EU capitals were nervous about the document, as they did not want a big focus on enlargement ahead of the June EU election.
UKRAINE’S GRAIN 3
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: EU negotiators struck a deal in the early hours of this morning to extend trade liberalization measures for Ukraine for a year, snubbing a Poland and French-led push for tougher restrictions on grain and other agricultural imports, my colleagues Camille Gijs and Bartosz Brzeziński report.
Breaking it down: The compromise deal expands the import caps already imposed by the Commission on poultry, sugar and eggs to honey, maize, oats and groats. The EU executive will also be required to reintroduce tariffs on those products within two weeks, instead of three, in the event of a surge in imports. Other cereals, including wheat, will avoid hard limits.
Averting disaster: Crucially for Kyiv, negotiators decided against extending the 2022-2023 reference period for calculating the caps to include 2021, when imports from Ukraine into the EU were much lower. This would have cost Ukraine an estimated €1.2 billion in lost trade revenues. The compromise must now be approved by member countries and the Parliament.
NOW READ THIS — PUTIN IS WINNING THE GRAIN WAR: Over the past two years, Moscow has dumped record amounts of wheat on the world market, driving down prices. But instead of directing their frustration at Russia, farmers in countries like Poland and Slovakia have turned their anger on Ukraine. Bartosz has a top read on how Russian President Vladimir Putin is sowing discontent among EU farmers.
