By Andrew Gray
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)
