New initiative registered: Respect de l'Etat de droit au sein de l'Union européenne
Respect for the rule of law within the European Union.
The aim of the initiative is to create ‘an objective and impartial evaluation mechanism to verify the application of the European Union's values by all the Member States'. More specifically, the organisers call on the Commission to ‘provide the European Union with general legislation […] to verify the practical application of national provisions relating to the rule of law'. In addition, the organisers aim to ‘facilitate the enforcement of European laws on judicial cooperation in criminal matters (e.g. the European Arrest Warrant)' and strengthen the role of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.
The decision to register the ‘Respect for the rule of law' initiative coincides with the launch of a reflection process by the European Commission today on possible next steps for further strengthening the rule of law in the European Union (press material here) as announced in the Commission's Work Programme for 2019. Today's consultative Communication will be followed by a more forward-looking initiative in June. Under the Treaties, the Commission can propose legal acts to evaluate the implementation by Member States of Union policies in the area of freedom, security and justice, and to strengthen the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. The European Commission therefore considered the initiative legally admissible and decided to register it.