ENNHRI - Report - "State of the rule of law in the European Union 2021"

ENNHRI (the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions) published in July 2021 its second annual report on the state of the rule of law in Europe. Based on the perspectives of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), this is ENNHRI's contribution to the second EC Report on the Rule of Law.

The report shows that negative trends identified in ENNHRI’s 2020 rule of law reporting were further exacerbated over the past year. Among key findings, the report points to the fact that, while NHRIs have been increasingly recognised as important part of checks and balances in each country, there are persistent challenges on the establishment of and enabling environment for NHRIs in some European countries. This shows the need for further strengthening and safeguarding independent and effective NHRIs in compliance with the Paris Principles across the region.

NHRIs’ reports also expose restrictive laws, practices and attacks negatively affecting the enabling space and operations for civil society organisations and rights defenders, as well as increasing threats, intimidation and harassment targeting journalists and chilling media freedom and freedom of expression. NHRIs in some countries also raised concerns over serious human rights violations affecting the national rule of law environment, including systemic violations of human rights of migrants and ineffective responses to hate speech and crime routinely targeting racialised groups and LGBTI+ people. NHRIs further drew attention to the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken to address it, including reduced accountability and transparency of governments’ action due to weakened oversight and participation mechanisms, against the background of severe implications of the crisis especially affecting people in a situation of vulnerability (among others, persons with disabilities, the elderly, Roma, migrants, homeless people as well as victims of domestic violence).