The prospects of Turkey joining the EU faded yesterday (29 May) as the French National Assembly approved a bill making referenda obligatory for accepting new EU member countries with populations over 5% of the bloc's entire size.

The proposal, which was introduced as part of a broader institutional reform project, was accepted with a 48-21 vote majority and has now been sent to the Senate for approval. The final vote will be in July, when both chambers convene for a joint session. 

The move comes just one day after MEPs and the Commission heavily criticised Turkey for slowing down the pace of reforms during the visit of the Turkish foreign minister Ali Babacan to Brussels (see EurActiv 29/05/08).