EU enlargement chief proposes rule-of-law monitoring before and after accession

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos announced that rule-of-law safeguards will be applied to candidate countries before accession and continue post-membership, a shift from current practice. The proposal aims to address concerns over democratic backsliding in newer member states, but its implementation and legal basis remain unclear. This signals a potential tightening of EU accession conditions, affecting candidate countries like Ukraine and the Western Balkans.