A safety belt for the EU’s capacity to act

National vetoes can significantly undermine the European Union’s capacity to act in the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). At the same time, there is insufficient political support for a general introduction of qualified majority voting (QMV) in this area.

In his new IEP Policy Paper, “A Safety Belt for the EU’s Capacity to Act”, Daniel Hegedüs, Deputy Director of IEP, proposes a targeted reform: authorising enhanced cooperation in CFSP by qualified majority voting. This would allow willing Member States to pursue joint action within the EU’s legal framework without obliging other Member States to participate.

The proposal builds on the CFSP passerelle clause under Article 31(3) TEU, which could provide a legal pathway for reform without amending the EU Treaties. However, its applicability requires legal clarification, and its activation would depend on unanimous agreement in the European Council. With national elections approaching in 2027, Hegedüs argues that the current political window should be used to strengthen the EU’s long-term resilience against obstruction.

The Policy Paper was produced by Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) in cooperation with the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung.