by Cristian Pîrvulescu, EESC member and president of the ad hoc Group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law

The time when fundamental rights, the rule of law and democracy could be taken for granted on our continent is definitively over. It has become increasingly clear that these values need to be proactively defended against populism, hate speech, attacks against minorities, the shrinking space for civil society and the tendency by some governments to concentrate power. The EESC's ad hoc group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law is dedicated to fostering a culture of fundamental rights in Europe.

In recent years our continent has been confronted with multiple crises which have challenged all the EU's values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty. Since the new millennium the people of Europe have had to face a plethora of these challenges, the most striking of which were the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent draconian austerity measures, the rise of security threats and terrorism, the major humanitarian challenge represented by the desperate situations of asylum seekers, and the greatest health crisis in a century.

The EESC could not just stand by and do nothing. In 2018 it set up an ad hoc group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law (FRRL), a 21-member body – over which I have the honour of presiding following my colleague, José Antonio Moreno Díaz - where civil society can share its views on developments in the area of fundamental rights, democracy and rule of law in the Member States.

The FRRL Group organises visits to all EU Member States, where it meets with social partners, civil society organisations (CSOs), law and media professionals, and the national authorities. Based on their input, it then draws up reports describing the situation in each country.

The overall approach is not to provide legalistic analysis but rather to facilitate a constructive dialogue on issues that are sometimes polarised. We have received very positive feedback from CSO representatives, who have found that the reports have indeed stimulated national exchanges.

Another key objective of the FRRL Group is to build on these country visits to highlight trends developing in Europe. This is why we organised our first conference in November 2019 - to present the overall picture emerging from the synthesis report of the first country visits. In November 2021 we will hold a second conference, this time bringing together stakeholders to debate the European Commission reports on the rule of law.

Our medium-term goal is to develop a wider civil society forum that will allow all relevant stakeholders to participate in inclusive and open debates on defending EU values. As an intermediary step, we will soon launch a new web section where stakeholders can share written contributions.

The FRRL Group wants to play its part in the development of a shared European culture of fundamental rights, the rule of law and democracy. In addition to country visits and conferences, the FRRL Group has paid particular attention to the current COVID-19 crisis, organising hearings on the impacts and recovery – and has launched two own-initiative opinions to address the impact and the rule of law aspect of the recovery funds.

Overall, the main added value of the FRRL Group is that it contributes the socio-economic view on fundamental rights and the rule of law, and creates a coalition of all kinds of civil society organisations, including social partners. Our opinion on the impact of the rule of law on economic growth is symbolic of this approach and of the increasing interest of employers, workers along with the civil society forces represented in the EESC Diversity Europe Group, in these questions. The active participation of all groups is central to the work of the FRRL Group.