The European Commission is proposing to add the violation of EU restrictive measures to the list of EU crimes. The Commission is also proposing new reinforced rules on asset recovery and confiscation, which will also contribute to the implementation of EU restrictive measures. While the Russian aggression on Ukraine is ongoing, it is paramount that…
A conference organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) reiterated the call for an EU Civil Society Strategy and a European Statute for Associations. Appropriate follow-up to the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) and a regular and structured dialogue with CSOs were considered key aspects to rebuilding citizens’ trust in politics and strengthening…
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 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…
In the margins of the Budapest Forum for Sustainable Democracies, the Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, convened a global group of mayors united to build a value-driven city network to rebuild and reinforce democracy, stand as a bulwark against the erosion of the rule of law, and fight corruption, state capture, racism and populist nationalism….
Adding to a long list of concerns on the state of EU values in Poland, MEPs denounce the latest attempts to silence critical voices and undermine the primacy of EU law. In a resolution adopted on Thursday with 502 votes in favour, 149 against, and 36 abstentions, Parliament condemns the continuing deterioration of media freedom…
Over 200 participants, including policymakers, experts and activists will meet to debate and discuss how to rebuild and strengthen democracy in the age of populism, at the inaugural Budapest Forum taking place on September 16-17, 2021, in Budapest, Hungary. The Forum will also discuss ideas on tackling inequalities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, mainstreaming…
The European Commission has taken two separate decisions, both related to decisions of the Court of Justice and where the actions of the Polish authorities continue to undermine the functioning of the Polish justice system. First, the Commission decided to request the Court of Justice to impose financial penalties on Poland to ensure compliance with…
The Presidents of the European Council, Commission and Parliament issued this joint statement on the imposition of restrictive measures on eight EU nationals by Russia. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms today’s decision of the Russian authorities to ban eight European Union nationals from entering the Russian territory. This includes the President of the…
Today, the European Commission publishes the fourth set of reports from the signatories of the Code of Practice on Disinformation on actions they have taken to fight false and misleading coronavirus-related information. In their latest reports, the online platforms have responded to the Commission’s call to provide information specifically about the measures taken to limit the spread of disinformation on coronavirus vaccines….
