This Thursday, parliamentarians from all EU member states will discuss the Commission’s 2021 rule of law report and the way forward on a comprehensive mechanism for EU values.
The exchange of views between MEPs and national parliamentarians will take place in an Interparliamentary Committee meeting hosted by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, with the support of the Directorate for relations with National Parliaments. The ICM will be dedicated to an assessment of the second Commission’s rule of law report in the context of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights mechanism. It is also a follow up of the inter-parliamentary meeting organized in November last year on the first annual rule of law report of the Commission. It will provide an opportunity for an in-depth exchange of views on the rule of law situation in the EU and on the role of national parliaments in protecting and enforcing European values. Since 2020, Parliament has been calling for a permanent, comprehensive, and effective mechanism to protect EU values.
When: Thursday 9 December 2021, 09.00 – 12.00.
Where: European Parliament in Brussels, room Paul-Henri Spaak (1A002), with remote participation.
How: Follow the meeting live here.
President Sassoli is set to deliver the opening speech, following which the exchange will be structured in two parts.
Panel 1 – exchange of views on the Commission’s annual Rule of Law report 2021 with:
- Gašper DOVŽAN, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Presidency of the Council of the European Union
- Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice
- Terry REINTKE, MEP and rRapporteur on the own initiative report on the Commission Rule of Law report 2021
- Blaž PAVLIN, Chair of the Committee on Justice, Slovenian National Assembly
- Coralie DUBOST, Member of the European Affairs Committee, National Assembly, France and Jean-Yves LECONTE, Member of the Committee on Constitutional Law, Senate, France
Panel 2 – Q&A on the way forward on the Mechanism on Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights. Interventions by:
- Rik DAEMS, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
- Filippo DONATI, President of the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ)
- John MORIJN, Commissioner at the Dutch National Institute for Human Rights and Professor at the University of Groningen
- Elena CRESPI, Western Europe Programme Director, FIDH (tbc)
- Paulina KIESZKOWSKA-KNAPIK, Representative of the Free Court Initiative
For more information, you can download the programme of the meeting and see the complete list of participants.