The conference on Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law held by the European Economic and Social Committee brought into light serious violations and negative trends in the four areas covered by the European Rule of Law Mechanism (justice, corruption, media, checks and balances). The EESC stressed that civil society is a dynamic actor in defending…
Ahead of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Vice-President Věra Jourová have issued a joint statement. It reads, “A few weeks ago, Maria Ressa and Dimitri Mouratov received the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition of their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression. With their reporting, they…
The Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament has voted for the Parliament to take the European Commission to court for inaction on the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism. Despite numerous breaches of the rule of law endangering the proper use of EU funds, the Commission has failed to activate the mechanism. MEPs, led by…
S&D members in the legal affairs committee in the European parliament voted in favour of legal action against the Commission for its failure to trigger the EU’s rule of law conditionality mechanism. In force since 1 January 2021, the mechanism makes access to EU funds conditional on respecting the rule of law and EU fundamental…
The EU needs rules against SLAPPs (vexatious legal actions) intended to silence critical voices, according to the Parliament’s Civil Liberties and Legal Affairs committees. In a draft report endorsed on Thursday with 63 votes for, 9 against, and 10 abstentions, MEPs propose measures to counteract the threat that Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) pose…
Iratxe García Pérez, the leader of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, met with judges in Warsaw on Saturday who are fighting to save the rule of law in Poland, and with attorney Michal Wawrykiewicz, co-founder of the Free Courts Civic Initiative. After the meeting, García Pérez said,”What I heard today is extremely…
Members of the European Parliament have adopted a report on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Criminal Law. The file includes a paragraph that speaks out in favour of a ban on any processing of biometric data, including facial images, for law enforcement purposes that would lead to mass surveillance in publicly accessible spaces. With…
The European Commission has presented the first-ever strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. With antisemitism worryingly on the rise, in Europe and beyond, the Strategy sets out a series of measures articulated around three pillars: to prevent all forms of antisemitism; to protect and foster Jewish life; and to promote research, education and…
The Commission has launched a public consultation on EU action against abusive litigation targeting journalists (Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation -SLAPP). The consultation, announced on Monday, will feed into the upcoming initiative against SLAPP, to be presented by the Commission, as announced in the EU democracy action plan. Vice-President Věra Jourová, said: “Daphne Caruana Galizia had 47 abusive…
On Tuesday, the decision on the new EU list of tax havens will be on the agenda of the meeting of the economy and finance ministers of the 27 EU member states. It has already become known that the list will be shortened: Anguila, the Seychelles and Dominica are to be removed from the list….
