EC Rule of Law Report: from recommendations to action!

On 13 July, the European Commission issued its third report on the Rule of Law1, which covers developments in all EU Member States since July 2021. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has always been a staunch supporter of the Rule of Law Review Mechanism and it now looks forward to Member States implementing the report's recommendations in close cooperation with organised civil society.

The European Economic and Social Committee considers that the inclusion of country specific recommendations in the Commission's report represents a major positive development in the Rule of Law Review Mechanism. This novelty indeed matches the request of civil society organisations for tangible criteria to assess the level of implementation of EU funding values in the EU Member States. The EESC also appreciates that the report recognises the importance of respecting the rule of law as a prerequisite for a good economic environment, investment, a well-functioning Single Market, economic growth and jobs, and in the context of EU enlargement, in line with its own work in this area2.

Given the worrying situation in a number of Member States, the EESC calls for a swift implementation of the country specific recommendations, which should be backed up by all relevant policy tools, from the European Semester to budget conditionality.

Civil society organisations must play a central role in monitoring the implementation of the rule of law country-specific recommendations. However, they should not be left alone in this endeavour but be fully supported. National authorities should proactively involve all relevant civil society actors in objective and comprehensive national debates on the Rule of Law Report. 

The Committee will continue to play its role as facilitator of constructive debates including organised civil society, national authorities and EU institutions. On 26 September 2022, it will organise its third conference on fundamental rights and the rule of law, to discuss the latest EC Rule of Law Report, as well as the outcome of the country visits carried out by the EESC FRRL Group in 2020-2021.

Christa Schweng, EESC President
Cristian Pîrvulescu, President of the EESC Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law (FRRL) Group


[1]Communication - 2022 Rule of law report - the rule of law situation in the European Union
[2]E.g. EESC opinion on "The rule of law and its impact on economic growth", 2020

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