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by jkaplowitz 647 days ago
> This is one of the reasons the EU is set to remove the single country veto rule since it was open to abuse. You'll then need two countries on your side to alter the EU's rulings.

There are definitely countries calling for this rule to be removed or otherwise reformed, but I wasn't aware that the EU "is set" to do it. My understanding is that this change would itself require unanimous agreement in order to make it happen (without effectively forking the EU in an extreme step no country has yet seriously proposed), and that this unanimous agreement is not yet present.

Have I missed some recent major announcement on this point? I know the EU Parliament voted about this some months ago, but their wishes on this point will never become EU law through the current procedures without unanimous agreement from the member states.
2 comments
tpm 647 days ago
For some issues unanimous agreement is already not needed. For example recently a law was passed in the Council with 20 of 27 votes (only with the help of an Austrian minister against the wish of her government).

https://www.dw.com/en/eu-ministers-approve-contested-nature-...

The full rules are here, 'of course' taxation still needs unanimous agreement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_in_the_Council_of_the_E...

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jkaplowitz 647 days ago
Yes, I'm aware that unanimity is not currently always required. But a claim that the EU "is set" to remove a rule is discussing a change to the status-quo rules in this regard, which I haven't heard about except as a very much not unanimously agreed aspiration of some legislators and some member states.
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schmorptron 647 days ago
Won't this lead to this-for-that alliances within the EU and might turn member countries against each other in the long run? "France didn't help us veto a decision we wanted, so we won't help them either on this other front" or a more straightforward "if you help us veto this tax decision we will help you veto something that would affect you later".
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Rinzler89 647 days ago
Definitely, but at least it's a step in not making vetos as easy as before.
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