Brussels, 12 December 2024
The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs held a meeting with Commissioner McGrath, parliamentarians, institutional representatives, and experts from across the EU.
The Interparliamentary Committee meeting on Thursday debated the situation of the rule of law in member states and the trend of democratic backsliding. The speakers (including MPs from national parliaments) highlighted their shared responsibility in the protection of the rule of law and warned about future challenges to democratic values, such as foreign interference in elections, executive interference in judicial systems, and attacks on media freedom. Parliamentarians from the four accession countries included in the Commission´s annual report were invited, to hear their point of view and look into the effectiveness of reforms in their states. The meeting was structured as follows.
Session I: Exchange of views on the situation of the Rule of Law in 2024 – how to enhance Union Values in the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights (DRF) mechanism
- Michael McGRATH, EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law
- Claire BAZY MALAURIE, President of the Venice Commission
- Laurent PECH, Academic expert
- Michael FARRUGIA, Member of the Maltese House of Representatives
- Boris DITTRICH, Member of the Dutch Senate
Session II: Checks and balances as pillars of the Rule of Law – how civil society organisations can contribute to this pillar of the Rule of Law
- Gabriel TOGGENBURG, Head of Human Rights Structures and Mechanisms Sector, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
- Michael HAMILTON, Legal Adviser, Amnesty International
- Sylwia GREGORCZYK-ABRAM, Co-Founder, Free Courts Civic Initiative
- András LÉDERER, Head of Advocacy, Hungarian Helsinki Committee
- Andreas Arthur SPANRING, Member of the Federal Council of Austria
- Gabriela MORAWSKA-STANECKA, Member of the Polish Senate
In the first session, the debate revolved around the efficiency of current mechanisms to defend the rule of law, in particular the application of conditionality measures and access to EU funds. Speakers highlighted the “top-down” nature of violations, while others defended national governments under scrutiny arguing that the attention on them is politicised. They also discussed issues related to the independence of judges, tackling corruption, and media freedom.
In the second part of the debate, speakers addressed concerns related to the shrinking space for civil society, including concerns about freedom of assembly, surveillance by law enforcement, and threats to members of civil society organisations. However, some speakers also cautioned against the undue involvement of NGOs in political, legislative, and judicial affairs, as well as their lack of financial transparency.
A recording of the debate can be found on Parliament’s Multimedia Centre.
Further information
- Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
- Monitoring the situation of European values: EP working group resumes work (21-11-2024)
- MEPs warn that European values are being eroded across the EU (23-01-2024)