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REPORT (2023/2028(INI))

On the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union – annual report 2022 and 2023

A-9-2023-0376

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs · Rapporteur: Katarina Barley

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 28 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament's resolution reviews the situation of fundamental rights in the EU in 2022 and 2023. It condemns threats to media freedom, spyware abuse, corruption, discrimination and violence against migrants, and calls for stronger EU action and oversight. It calls for swift agreement on the anti-SLAPP directive, a strong European media freedom act, strict rules on spyware, and an independent ethics body. It urges Member States to protect journalists, human rights defenders and civil society. It demands action against discrimination, including a horizontal anti-discrimination directive, measures against hate speech and hate crime, and protection of Roma, LGBTIQ+ people, persons with disabilities and women. It calls for the right to abortion to be included in the Charter. It condemns fundamental rights violations at EU borders, calls for search and rescue operations, and urges protection for refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons. It also addresses poverty, housing, digitalisation and environmental rights. It supports EU accession to the ECHR, strengthening the Fundamental Rights Agency, and expanding the European Public Prosecutor's Office mandate to environmental crimes. It calls for an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.

Committee position. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs proposes a resolution covering the rule of law, freedoms, equality, social rights and institutional safeguards, calling for stronger EU action to protect fundamental rights.

Key points

  1. Condemns the record number of imprisoned journalists in 2022 and calls for justice for killed investigative journalists.
  2. Calls for swift agreement on the anti-SLAPP directive, decriminalisation of defamation, and measures against abusive lawsuits.
  3. Calls on Greece, Hungary, Poland, Spain and Cyprus to follow recommendations on Pegasus spyware, and for strict EU rules on spyware trade and use.
  4. Calls for zero tolerance for corruption, an independent ethics body, and full implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Directive.
  5. Supports freezing EU funds to fight corruption and rule of law backsliding, and calls on the European Council to act on Hungary under Article 7(2) TEU.
  6. Calls for an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, and for negotiations with Parliament.
  7. Condemns disproportionate force against peaceful protests and calls for independent investigations.
  8. Calls for a strong European media freedom act to guarantee media independence, plurality and transparency of ownership.
  9. Urges the Commission to present a strategy and minimum standards for protecting civil society organisations and human rights defenders.
  10. Condemns violations at EU borders, including pushbacks and detention of children, and calls for search and rescue operations.
  11. Calls for the right to abortion to be included in the Charter and condemns denial of access to safe and legal abortion.
  12. Calls for the FRA to become an independent human rights authority and for EU accession to the ECHR to be completed.

Who is affected

  • Journalists and media actors, who face threats and SLAPPs; the resolution calls for their protection.
  • Human rights defenders and civil society organisations, who face restrictions; the resolution calls for EU protection standards.
  • Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, who face violence and pushbacks; the resolution demands protection and search and rescue.
  • Roma, LGBTIQ+ people, persons with disabilities and women, who face discrimination; the resolution calls for action.
  • Member States, which are urged to implement recommendations and protect fundamental rights.

Figures and deadlines

  • 238 000 premature deaths from fine particulate matter air pollution in 2020.
  • Up to nine in ten hate crimes in the EU are not reported.
  • More than one in five children at risk of poverty; almost one in four citizens at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
  • EU ambient air quality standards to be aligned with WHO guidelines by 2030.
  • Istanbul Convention entered into force on 1 October 2023.