Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg have proposed new safeguards for future European Union members, including the possibility of temporarily restricting some voting rights and introducing stronger rule-of-law oversight mechanisms, according to a joint paper seen by Reuters on Tuesday, June 9. The proposal comes as the EU prepares for a new phase of enlargement, with Montenegro aiming to join the bloc by 2028 and Ukraine, Moldova and Albania seeking to advance their accession processes.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. According to Reuters, the five countries argue that lessons learned from democratic backsliding in some existing member states should be reflected in future accession agreements. The joint paper outlines several options that could be included in accession treaties for future EU members. Among them is a safeguard mechanism that would allow the bloc to take action if a new member seriously backslides on democratic standards, media freedom or the rule of law. The proposal also calls for discussions on “temporary, transitional limitations of voting rights” in policy areas where unanimous approval by all member states is required. “The EU should have an in-depth discussion on the possibility of temporary, transitional limitations of voting rights for new Member States,” the paper states. The countries specifically pointed to enlargement decisions, foreign policy and EU budget matters as areas where unanimity requirements can create challenges.