The Commission said it welcomes a political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on a stronger mandate for Europol, the EU agency for law enforcement cooperation. Under this reinforced mandate, Europol will be able to step up its support to Member States in fighting serious crime and terrorism and tackling emerging security threats….
This week, the LIBE Committee on Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs in the European Parliament held a first hearing and exchange of views on the spy scandal in Poland. Shortly before Christmas it became known that mobile phones of prominent Polish figures had been hacked by the internationally known spyware Pegasus. Polish…
The European Court of Human Rights has issued a review of 2021. In 2021 the Court ruled on more than 36,000 applications. The number of Grand Chamber or Chamber judgments rose to 428 (relating to 1,037 applications), an increase of 9% compared to 2020. At the end of 2020 there were 62,000 pending applications. At…
The EU has been urged to intervene in the case of a former Bangladeshi PM who claims to be under house arrest in the country, despite being seriously ill. Khaleda Zia is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996, and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the…
Disbursement of EU funds, including the Recovery Fund, must be tied to respect for the rule of law in all Member States. Systematic deficiencies in the rule of law always undermine the implementation of EU-funded programmes, and the absence of a rapid and comprehensive EU response to this will jeopardise the EU’s credibility, warns the…
Stéphane Bonifassi writing in an article published by Swiss-based French language Gotham News has reported on the possibility of Kazakh “opposition leader” Mukhtar Ablyazov, who has been in exile in France since 2013, losing the status of a political refugee granted to him in 2020. The State Council, it is reported, has just overturned this decision on the…
EU action has had little impact in advancing fundamental rule of law reforms in the Western Balkans, according to a special report published by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). Some technical and operational reforms have taken place in the region. But in a context of insufficient political will and a lack of engagement, EU…
New EU rules on digital content and on the sale of goods have entered into application. From now on, it will be easier for consumers and businesses to buy and sell digital content, digital services and goods and ‘smart goods’ across the EU. Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice, said: “2022 is starting off on a very positive note for…
The European Commission has tabled proposal to combat the use of shell companies for tax purposes. Comment on the issue came from Markus Ferber MEP, the EPP Group’s Spokesman in the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. “Often the main purpose of shell companies is to facilitate aggressive tax planning or disguise beneficial ownership structures. In theory, Member…
In response to months of political interference in both the media and the judiciary, the S&D Group has urged Slovenia to change course and “lead by example when it comes to upholding the rule of law.” In a report on the rule of law in Slovenia, for the first time in Parliament’s history, MEPs have…
