European Pact for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights in the EU finds broad support in Civil liberties committee

Source: S.H. (Sophie) in 't Veld i, published on Monday, October 3 2016.

The Civil Liberties Committee in the European Parliament will today give its broad support to Sophie In' t Veld's proposal for a binding European Pact for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights (DRF). The report, to be voted by the plenary at the end of the month, calls for an objective, evidence based and non-political mechanism to monitor and uphold European values and principles in both Member States and EU institutions.

Sophie in' t Veld, first Vice President of the ALDE group, said : "We have worked hard over the last months with all the political groups, from left to right, in a very constructive spirit in order to reach a joint proposal. I am very proud Parliament is showing unity and leadership when it comes to protecting the core of European integration. Respecting and defending our European values is essential for mutual trust and stability in Europe".

In' t Veld calls for:

  • • 
    An objective, evidence based monitoring tool for all Member States and EU institutions
  • • 
    Ongoing monitoring in an annual cycle, instead of the current incident driven mechanism
  • • 
    Close involvement of national parliaments during the process
  • • 
    A panel of independent experts of various disciplines

Moreover, the new instrument, according to in’ t Veld, would integrate existing instruments, such as the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), the Justice Scoreboard, the media pluralism monitor and the corruption report. The Pact can be adopted under current EU Treaties.

Sophie in' t Veld  added: "Recent cases in different Member States have shown there is a need for stronger and more objective tools for the enforcement of agreed rules and standards. Instead of responding to incidents, we need to put in place a systematic mechanism to ensure the respect for democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights in all Member States and EU institutions, fostering a culture of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights. The EU is a community of values. Candidate countries have to meet the highest standards regarding DRF during the pre-accession phase. However, that monitoring process seems to end once the country becomes an EU member. This is why we are proposing the establishment of an annual check whereby Member States are assessed on aspects such as independence of the judiciary, media freedom or LGBTI rights. Countries who put these values at stake will need to immediately correct those breaches or face sanctions."

The EU DRF Report will be the basis for an annual inter-parliamentary debate. The in 't Veld report also foresees a monitoring mechanism for scrutinising DRF compliance in the EU institutions. The European Commission will have to give a reasoned response to the proposal once approved by the European Parliament.

Read more ...