Eleven EU governments — Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden — have formally called on the EU to replace unanimity with qualified majority voting in foreign policy, arguing that vetoes have become obstructive, according to Euronews.

EU foreign policy is run under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), governed by Title V of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Article 24(1) TEU requires CFSP decisions — sanctions packages, joint diplomatic statements, common positions — to be adopted by unanimity in the Council, meaning any one of the 27 member states can block or delay them. Article 31(3) TEU offers a shortcut known as the 'passerelle clause': the European Council, acting unanimously, may authorise the Council to adopt CFSP decisions other than those with military or defence implications by qualified majority instead. A more permanent shift would require full treaty revision under Article 48 TEU, which itself needs unanimous ratification by every member state.

The proposal carries a structural catch: moving to majority voting itself requires unanimous agreement among all 27 states, so any government that wants to keep its veto can block the very reform meant to remove it.

The 11 signatories represent under half the bloc's membership. Whether the remaining 16 states — including those most likely to want to keep a national veto — back the idea will determine if it ever reaches the European Council for a formal vote.