11 EU countries propose steps to curb veto use in decision-making

Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden have put forward five proposals to counter the excessive use of vetoes in EU foreign policy and security decisions. The countries called for decisions not to be blocked by linking them to unrelated issues and for national policy reasons to be explained in detail.

Scraper SystemSeptember 01, 2026, 05:22 PM

11 EU countries propose steps to curb veto use in decision-making

Eleven European Union countries, including Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden, have proposed steps to prevent the use of vetoes from obstructing decision-making in foreign policy and security matters.

The countries submitted a position paper to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and the other member states ahead of Wednesday's informal Foreign Affairs Council meeting. The paper sets out five principles for more effective decision-making on foreign policy and security within the bloc.

Proposal for constructive abstention

One proposal calls for the EU to make greater use of constructive abstention to prevent a single member state from blocking decisions.

The countries also highlighted the principle of sincere cooperation enshrined in the EU treaties and called on member states not to block decisions by tying them to issues unrelated to the matter at hand. One proposal called for objections to specific parts of a measure not to be used in a way that would prevent the EU from taking a decision as a whole.

National policy reasons to be explained in detail

The position paper also called on Kallas to examine the options provided by the EU treaties for improving decision-making in foreign policy and security matters. This included consideration of whether the High Representative could prepare proposals consistent with the treaties.

The paper also addressed the right of member states to object to foreign policy or security decisions subject to qualified-majority voting on the basis of vital and clearly stated national policy reasons. The 11 countries said these reasons should be set out in detail, arguing that this would contribute to meaningful consultations and the search for solutions acceptable to all members.

The paper was also sent to the foreign ministers of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Republic of Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia.

11 EU countries propose steps to curb veto use in decision-making