Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification

The Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification (CVM) was a safeguard measure invoked by the European Commission when a new member or acceding state of the European Union failed to implement commitments undertaken in the context of the accession negotiations in the fields of the Area of freedom, security and justice or internal market policy.

According to the treaties, new member states are obliged to fulfill the benchmarks for discontinuation of both permanent derogations and CVMs, but some of them deliberately delay those processes.

They may however be applied beyond the period [of three years after accession] as long as the relevant commitments have not been fulfilled.If there are serious shortcomings ... in [the acceding state] in the transposition [of Acquis communautaire] relating to mutual recognition in the area of criminal law ...and ... civil matters ..., the Commission may, until the end of a period of up to three years after accession, ..., take appropriate measures.

The safeguard clause for criminal law and civil matters was invoked for the first time[citation needed] in regard to the countries of the 2007 enlargement.

On 13 December 2006 the commission established the following mechanisms for cooperation and verification of progress: These measures entered into force as of the first day of accession, 1.1.2007.

The Commission assessed that "When they joined the EU on 1 January 2007, Romania and Bulgaria still had progress to make in the fields of judicial reform, corruption and organised crime.

To smooth the entry of both countries and at the same time safeguard the workings of its policies and institutions, the EU decided to establish a special "cooperation and verification mechanism" to help them address these outstanding shortcomings."

Instead, the Commission expects every new member to join the EU without deficiencies that would require special monitoring, like how the CVM reports were used for Bulgaria and Romania.