NHC and NJCM Submit Contribution to European Commission for Rule of Law Report

In 2020, the European Commission will for the first time issue such a report on all 27 EU Member States, asking civil society organisations, universities and professional organisations for input. The Commission considers this “one of the major initiatives of the Commission’s Work Programme for 2020”. For its reporting, the Commission will base itself on a variety of sources, in order to assess developments in the most significant areas related to the rule of law. These include the independence of the judiciary, anti-corruption efforts, the freedom of the media and checks and balances. The Commission will use all feedback received when preparing its report.

The report is part of a wider Rule of Law Mechanism, which marks a new opportunity to uphold democracy in the EU. The NHC and NJCM believe that an effective debate about the relevance of the rule of law in the EU is highly necessary and must be stimulated. It is crucial that EU decision-makers aim for an ambitious European Rule of Law Mechanism, effectively upholding the independence of the judiciary and press freedom.

For our full contribution, please see here: Annual Rule of Law Report – Stakeholder Consultation NHC & NJCM.