Sittings · Document
OPINION (2024/2078(INI)) 2025-04-14
On the Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law report
Committee on Foreign Affairs · Rapporteur: Isabel WiselerLima
AMENDMENTS
The Committee on Foreign Affairs submits the following to the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, as the committee responsible:
Amendment 1
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), in particular Articles 2, 3(1), 3(3), second subparagraph, 4(3), 5, 6, 7, 11, 19 and 49 thereof, | – having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), in particular Articles 2, 3(1), 3(3), second subparagraph, 4(3), 5, 6, 7, 11, 19, 21 and 49 thereof, |
Amendment 2
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the Commission’s 2024 Enlargement Package of 30 October 2024 and its accompanying documents, |
Amendment 3
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the Commission communication of 8 November 2023 entitled ‘New growth plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2023)0691), |
Amendment 4
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the UN instruments on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the recommendations and reports of the UN Universal Periodic Review, as well as the case-law of the UN treaty bodies and the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, | – having regard to the UN instruments on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms – in particular the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights – and the recommendations and reports of the UN Universal Periodic Review, as well as the case-law of the UN treaty bodies and the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, |
Amendment 5
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the final report of the election observation mission of the OSCE office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on the early parliamentary elections of 17 December 2023 in Serbia, published on 28 February 2024, |
Amendment 6
Motion for a resolution
Citation 45 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to its resolution of 29 February 2024 on deepening EU integration in view of future enlargement1a, _______________ a OJ C, C/2024/6746, 26.11.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/6746/oj. |
Amendment 7
Motion for a resolution
Citation 48 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the European Court of Auditors Special Report 01/2022 of 10 January 2022 entitled ‘EU support for the rule of law in the Western Balkans: despite efforts, fundamental problems persist’, |
Amendment 8
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Aa. whereas the Union’s action worldwide must be guided by the universality and indivisibility of human rights and by the fact that the effective protection and defence of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the principles of international law are at the core of the Union’s external action, as enshrined in Article 21 TEU; |
Amendment 9
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ab. whereas accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure in which it is assessed if each applicant fulfils the Copenhagen criteria, in particular those guaranteeing full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, in order to ensure that EU enlargement strengthens rather than weakens the EU and its single market; whereas, in accordance with the Copenhagen criteria, candidate and potential candidate countries must adhere to the values of the Union in order to join the Union, which cannot be disregarded or reinterpreted after accession; whereas this also extends to alignment with the Union’s policies and positions, including its common foreign and security policy, and in particular its policies and positions on human rights; |
Amendment 10
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ac. whereas the past year has been marked by a new proliferation of laws on ‘foreign agents’ in EU candidate and potential candidate countries, and whereas these laws target civil society organisations and the media, and seek to prevent them from receiving financial support from abroad, including from the Union and its Member States, thereby fostering a climate of fear and self-censorship; |
Amendment 11
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ad. whereas democratic backsliding is one of the biggest threats facing the European Union, both within and outside its borders; whereas it is necessary to strengthen and streamline existing mechanisms and to develop a single comprehensive EU mechanism to protect democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights effectively and to ensure that Article 2 TEU is upheld throughout the Union, as well as promoted among candidate and potential candidate countries; |
Amendment 12
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ae. whereas democratic backsliding within the Member States is threatening the coherence of the common foreign and security policy and compromises the Union’s image as a promoter of democracy and the rule of law; |
Amendment 13
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Af. whereas in a recent Eurobarometer survey, 74 % of respondents thought that the EU plays an important role in upholding the rule of law and 89 % believed that it is important for all Member States to respect the EU’s core values; |
Amendment 14
Motion for a resolution
Recital A g (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ag. whereas, in November 2023, the Commission presented its growth plan for the Western Balkans; whereas in April 2024 the Commission approved the Reform Agendas, which commit the candidate and potential candidate countries to socio-economic and fundamental reforms in the priority areas of rule of law and other fundamentals, governance, the digital and green transition, human capital development and the business environment; whereas upholding democratic mechanisms, the rule of law and respect for human rights is a precondition for receiving payments under the EU’s EUR 6 billion Reform and Growth Facility; |
Amendment 15
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 1. Underlines that fair and accessible justice is a basic rule of law (RoL) principle that requires an independent judiciary; reiterates that access to justice is essential for citizens to exercise rights, challenge discrimination and hold decision makers accountable; | 1. Underlines that fair and accessible justice is a basic rule of law (RoL) principle that requires an independent judiciary; reiterates that access to justice is essential for citizens to exercise rights, challenge discrimination, access effective legal remedies and hold decision makers accountable, while ending impunity; |
Amendment 16
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 1a. Reiterates the strong support of the EU for the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court (ICC) as essential, independent and impartial jurisdictional institutions amid a particularly challenging time for international justice; highlights the Council conclusions on EU Priorities in UN Human Rights Fora in 2025 of 27 January 2025 recalling the need to fully implement the International Court of Justice orders, which are legally binding; |
Amendment 17
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 1b. Calls for the Union, its Member States and the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue to support the ICC, and those cooperating with and supporting the court, including civil society organisations and human rights defenders, with all the necessary means and resources, including the activation of the EU Blocking Statute, and to use all instruments at their disposal to strengthen the fight against impunity worldwide; recalls that full compliance with ICC decisions is an integral part of the obligations of EU candidate and potential candidate countries; calls for the Union to support candidate and potential candidate countries in achieving this goal; |
Amendment 18
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 2. Notes that the Commission has found structural challenges to improving the efficiency of the judiciary of some Member States37 ; stresses the need for transparent and merit-based appointments for high-level judicial positions, without political interference; | 2. Notes that the Commission has found structural challenges to improving the efficiency and independence of the judiciary of some Member States37 and of the candidate and potential candidate countries; stresses the need for transparent and merit-based appointments for high-level judicial positions, without political interference; condemns the increasing trend of the instrumentalisation of the judiciary around the world; expresses concerns about the revolving doors in the judiciary and the fact that attempted interference and pressure on the judicial system by public officials or politicians still remain high in some candidate and potential candidate countries, contributing to undermining the public trust in the judiciary; cautions against undermining independent judicial structures; welcomes the fact that there have been some positive developments in some candidate and potential candidate countries as accountability has been strengthened thanks to the vetting of all judges and prosecutors; |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 37 Commission communication of 24 July 2024 entitled ‘2024 Rule of Law Report’ (COM(2024)0800), Annex with recommendations, pp. 1, 9, 11, 19 and 24. | 37 Commission communication of 24 July 2024 entitled ‘2024 Rule of Law Report’ (COM(2024)0800), Annex with recommendations, pp. 1, 9, 11, 19 and 24. |
Amendment 19
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 2a. Regrets that in the candidate and potential candidate countries the length of proceedings and the number of unresolved cases remain high; stresses that in these countries efforts should be continued to increase the number of criminal prosecutions and final sentences, especially in high-level cases; stresses that more efforts should be taken in regard to the digitalisation of case management; |
Amendment 20
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 6. Notes the trend of some Member States delaying or not implementing CJEU judgments and calls for the implementation of these judgments to be prioritised; | 6. Notes the trend of some Member States and candidate and potential candidate countries delaying or not implementing CJEU judgments and the recommendations of the Venice Commission, and calls for the implementation of these judgments to be prioritised; |
Amendment 21
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 6a. Stresses that corruption enables and aggravates human rights violations and abuses, as well as the erosion of democratic principles; recalls that corruption is a threat which can destroy democracies and undermine citizens’ trust in public institutions, and that the branches of power must not use their power for personal gain; insists on the need for the EU to take clear steps to recognise the close link between corruption and human rights violations in order to target economic and financial enablers of human rights abusers; |
Amendment 22
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 6b. Expresses its concerns for the fact that corruption remains a serious concern in candidate and potential candidate countries; reiterates its call on the candidate and potential candidate countries to adopt and implement all reforms needed to address persisting shortcomings in fighting against corruption at all levels and organised crime; calls on the Member States to support candidate and potential candidate countries in adhering to the highest possible standards in order to prevent corruption; |
Amendment 23
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7. Calls on the Member States to enhance transparency and accountability in public institutions by strengthening anti-corruption frameworks, ensuring the establishment of independent oversight bodies, fostering protection for whistle-blowers, improving integrity frameworks and lobbying for legislation; regrets the lack of relevant progress made in tackling high-level corruption in some Member States; | 7. Calls on the Member States and the candidate and potential candidate countries to enhance transparency and accountability in public institutions by strengthening anti-corruption frameworks, ensuring the establishment of independent oversight bodies, fostering protection for whistle-blowers, improving integrity frameworks and lobbying for legislation; regrets the lack of relevant progress made in tackling high-level corruption in some Member States; |
Amendment 24
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7a. Reiterates its call for the EU’s Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EU Magnitsky Act) to be extended to cover acts of corruption; notes that the decision currently lies with the European Council and therefore urges the Member States to take swift action to ensure that perpetrators of serious acts of corruption can be sanctioned at EU level, by banning them from EU territory, freezing their assets in the EU and prohibiting any EU person or entity from making funds and economic resources available to them; |
Amendment 25
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7b. Strongly encourages the Union and its Member States to help candidate and potential candidate countries in their efforts to pursue their ambitious commitment to make freedom, democracy and human rights, and the protection thereof, a central element of all their national policies in a streamlined manner, thus promoting regional stability, democratic governance and respect for human rights; |
Amendment 26
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 8. Welcomes initiatives such as the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA)39 and calls for its swift implementation; calls on the Member States to improve transparency in the allocation of state advertising; calls on the Commission to provide the Member States with the necessary assistance for transposing the EMFA; | 8. Welcomes initiatives such as the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA)39 and calls for its swift implementation; calls on the Member States and the candidate and potential candidate countries to improve transparency in the allocation of state advertising; calls on the Commission to provide the Member States with the necessary assistance for transposing the EMFA; |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 39 Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market and amending Directive 2010/13/EU (European Media Freedom Act) (OJ L, 2024/1083, 17.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1083/oj). | 39 Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market and amending Directive 2010/13/EU (European Media Freedom Act) (OJ L, 2024/1083, 17.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1083/oj). |
Amendment 27
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 8a. Is deeply concerned about the increasing number of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) cases, including in candidate and potential candidate countries; urges the Union to support quality media and news outlets in candidate and potential candidate countries which promote the accountability of the authorities and support democracy, while stressing the need to preserve the principles of pluralism, transparency and independence; condemns the widespread use of SLAPPs to silence journalists, activists, trade unionists and human rights defenders (HRDs) globally; welcomes, in this context, the Union directive1a designed to shield journalists and HRDs from abusive legal actions and SLAPPs; encourages lawmakers in candidate and potential candidate countries to develop legislation pursuing the same goal, as part of broader efforts to promote and protect media freedom and pluralism; ___________________ 1a Directive (EU) 2024/1069 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded claims or abusive court proceedings (‘Strategic lawsuits against public participation’) (OJ L, 2024/1069, 16.4.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1069/oj). |
Amendment 28
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 10. Urges the Member States to protect media freedom and pluralism, prevent the concentration of media ownership and combat disinformation, particularly through robust laws and independent regulators; underlines the democratic importance of independent, stable public broadcasting and the need to ensure the funding of public service media; | 10. Urges the Member States and candidate and potential candidate countries to protect media freedom and pluralism, prevent the concentration of media ownership and combat disinformation, particularly through robust laws and independent regulators; underlines the democratic importance of independent, stable public broadcasting and the need to ensure adequate, sustainable and predictable funding of independent public service media; |
Amendment 29
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 10a. Expresses concerns about the overlap of business and political interests, the lack of transparency of financing sources, the high concentration of media ownership, intimidation and precarious working conditions for journalists, which impact the state of media independence and pluralism in some candidate and potential candidate countries; regrets that the lack of independence of media regulators and public broadcasters is a persisting issue in multiple candidate and potential candidate countries; emphasises that education is a key tool for safeguarding media freedom and freedom of speech, helping to fight disinformation; stresses the need to build societal resilience against information manipulation and foreign interference, as well as other hybrid threats; |
Amendment 30
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11. Strongly condemns state control and political interference in media operations and calls for greater efforts to ensure the safety and protection of journalists; | 11. Strongly condemns state control and political interference in media operations and calls for greater efforts to ensure the safety and protection of journalists in their effort to effectively and independently carry out their tasks; |
Amendment 31
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11a. Stresses that foreign interference has become a key element of the foreign policy of authoritarian regimes, which use it to undermine the rules-based global order and to sow discord between democracies around the world, including through social media; calls on candidate and potential candidate countries to take action against foreign interference and information manipulation within their jurisdiction; |
Amendment 32
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11b. Recalls the crucial role played by journalists, including political and investigative journalists, in denouncing human rights violations by gathering reliable and relevant information, monitoring the activities of public authorities and elected representatives, and revealing violations of national and international law, state repression, corruption, criminal networks and activities and human rights violations of every kind; stresses that journalists contribute to the system of checks and balances necessary for holding to account those responsible for violations, including those in power; highlights the role played by fact checkers in the media landscape, ensuring that the public can trust the information they receive; is concerned that they are therefore major targets for attacks by illiberal regimes that create and spread disinformation, propaganda and fake news; |
Amendment 33
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11c. Calls for journalists to be protected so that they can do their job without fear, reprisals or harassment; calls on Member States to help candidate and potential candidate countries to adopt legislation and policies drawing on journalists’ experience, in line with Union legislation and standards, with the aim of establishing a legal environment to warn and protect journalists, to prevent and vigorously prosecute cases of repression of journalists and to ensure appropriate investigations and follow-up, including the application of effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions; urges the authorities to do everything in their power to prevent such violence, ensure accountability and eradicate impunity; |
Amendment 34
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12. Agrees with the Commission’s assessment that civil society organisations (CSOs) and human rights defenders (HRDs) are essential for the balance of power; | 12. Agrees with the Commission’s assessment that civil society organisations (CSOs) and human rights defenders (HRDs) are essential for the balance of power; praises the work of CSOs and HRDs and stresses their crucial role as the EU’s partners in its efforts to safeguard and advance human rights, democracy and the rule of law; underlines in particular the importance of local vibrant civil societies in the candidate and potential candidate countries, which play a constructive role in the EU accession processes, while underlining that civil society is vital in fostering democracy and pluralism and promoting good governance, as well as social progress, and that the candidate and potential candidate countries should provide an enabling space and an appropriate framework for cooperation to ensure their meaningful involvement; |
Amendment 35
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 13. Is concerned by the growing trend of CSOs and HRDs facing further legal restrictions, a lack of funding, and attacks; calls for an enabling and supportive framework for civil society and reiterates the importance of adopting the Anti-SLAPP Directive and Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/758 to protect CSOs; considers that the Commission and the Member States should expand funding for CSOs; | 13. Is concerned by the growing trend of CSOs and HRDs facing further legal restrictions, a lack of funding, attacks, arbitrary arrests and detentions, among others; expresses serious concerns regarding the use of digital spyware and vicious smear campaigns regularly launched against CSOs in some candidate and potential candidate countries; highlights the increasing tendency of transnational repression; calls for an enabling and supportive framework for civil society and reiterates the importance of adopting the Anti-SLAPP Directive and Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/758 to protect CSOs; considers that the Commission, the Member States and the candidate and potential candidate countries should expand funding for CSOs; |
Amendment 36
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 13a. Condemns in the strongest terms the adoption of laws on ‘foreign agents’ by candidate and potential candidate countries with the aim of censoring journalists, human rights defenders and educational and civil society organisations; deeply regrets that authorities in an increasing number of candidate and potential candidate countries are working on such plans and urges them to immediately abandon these plans; |
Amendment 37
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 13b. Urges the Commission and the Member States to express stronger and more vocal support for the citizens and organisations that advocate for the respect of the rule of law, fundamental and human rights and freedoms in the candidate and potential candidate countries, including through their participation in peaceful protests; |
Amendment 38
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 16. Calls for the legal protection of women, for gender-based violence to be added as a crime under EU law, for an EU proposal on consent-based rape laws and for access to safe, legal abortion to be enshrined in the Charter; | 16. Calls for the legal protection of women, for gender-based violence to be added as a crime under EU law, for an EU proposal on consent-based rape laws and for access to safe, legal abortion to be enshrined in the Charter; calls on all candidate and potential candidate countries to adopt and fully implement national strategies on gender equality and national strategies for the prevention of and protection against discrimination; stresses that more efforts should be made to counter hate crimes and prevent violence against women, children and minorities; |
Amendment 39
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 17. Underlines that all citizens, regardless of their nationality, place of birth or regularity of arrival in the Member States, must be equal before the law and encourages the Commission and the Member States to further tackle nationality-based discrimination; calls on the Commission to ensure that the Member States respect the RoL in their national plans when implementing the Pact on Migration and Asylum; | 17. Underlines that all citizens, regardless of their nationality, race, place of birth or regularity of arrival in the Member States and the candidate and potential candidate countries, must be equal before the law, be able to fully exercise their rights, enjoy equal and human treatment and have access to fair international protection procedure in full compliance with international law and the non-refoulement principle; encourages the Commission, the Member States and the candidate and potential candidate countries to further tackle nationality-based discrimination; calls on the Commission to ensure that the Member States respect the rule of law and the principles enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and in international law in their national plans when implementing the Pact on Migration and Asylum; |
Amendment 40
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19. Highlights the importance of the RoL in ensuring the functioning of the single market and reaffirms that judicial systems, effective anti-corruption frameworks and the protection of media freedom are crucial for fair competition, legal certainty and trust among economic operators43 ; | 19. Highlights the importance of the RoL in ensuring the functioning of the single market and reaffirms that judicial systems, effective anti-corruption frameworks and the protection of media freedom are crucial for fair competition, legal certainty and trust among economic operators43; notes the harmonisation resulting from the adoption of the Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence43a with binding Union rules on responsible corporate behaviour with regard to human, labour and environmental rights; further welcomes the Regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market43b and calls for its swift implementation at Member State level; further stresses that by enhancing transparency and legal recourse, harmonisation aims to uphold human rights, protect the environment and foster responsible business practices within the EU and beyond; |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 43 Commission communication of 24 July 2024 entitled ‘2024 Rule of Law Report’, (COM(2024)0800), p. 5. | 43 Commission communication of 24 July 2024 entitled ‘2024 Rule of Law Report’, (COM(2024)0800), p. 5. 43a Directive (EU) 2024/1760 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on corporate sustainability due diligence and amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937 and Regulation (EU) 2023/2859 (OJ L, 2024/1760, 5.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1760/oj). 43b Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market and amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937 (OJ L, 2024/3015, 12.12.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/3015/oj). |
Amendment 41
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 20a. Emphasises that the allocation of EU funding must be directly linked to the respect for the rule of law, democratic principles and human rights; calls on the Commission to implement clear and binding conditionality mechanisms with a view to ensuring that both EU Member States and non-EU countries receiving EU financial assistance comply with these core values as enshrined in Article 2 TEU; underlines that any persistent breach of these values should lead to the suspension or reduction of EU funds; highlights that this conditionality should equally apply to candidate and potential candidate countries; |
Amendment 42
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22a. Welcomes the active engagement of the candidate and potential candidate countries in the implementation of the new growth plan for the Western Balkans and encourages the candidate and potential candidate countries to implement their Reform Agendas, which are essential to spur growth and convergence with the EU; |
Amendment 43
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22b. Urges the European Union and the candidate and potential candidate countries to increase the number and budget proportion of EU funds that are allocated directly to local authorities, in line with the principle of subsidiarity; |
Amendment 44
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 23a. Is alarmed at the increasing disputes over the credibility of elections in candidate and potential candidate countries; strongly condemns the numerous and serious electoral violations, which include, but are not limited to, documented cases of intimidation, manipulation of votes and interference with election observation and media; calls on the candidate and potential candidate countries to apply the recommendations made by international election observation bodies, in particular those of the EU; |
Amendment 45
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 24. Calls on the Member States to strengthen the independence of national oversight bodies in order to ensure resources and freedom from political interference; stresses the importance of civil society and HRDs in promoting accountability and protecting fundamental rights; deplores restrictions on civil society activity; | 24. Calls on the Member States to strengthen the independence of national oversight bodies in order to ensure resources and freedom from political interference; stresses the importance of civil society and HRDs in promoting accountability and protecting fundamental rights; is concerned about the continuing shrinking of the space for civil society and the growing threats to the work of HRDs and CSOs; encourages the Union to provide support to candidate and potential candidate countries in order to create a favourable and enabling environment for human rights defenders and civil society organisations to operate freely in their country; calls for the full and consistent application of the Union guidelines on human rights defenders in candidate and potential candidate countries; |
Amendment 46
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 24a. Notes with concern that deep political polarisation present in some candidate and potential candidate countries is having a negative impact on the work of parliaments and that elements of state capture are still present in the region; |
Amendment 47
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 25. Is concerned about foreign interference in the Member States, including social media manipulation and disinformation; notes the unacceptable initiatives of Elon Musk to use social media platforms to manipulate public opinion in various Member States; calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor this and to apply the Digital Services Act44 and the Digital Markets Act45 , including in response to Meta’s recent decision on fact-checking mechanisms; | 25. Is concerned about foreign interference in the Member States, including social media manipulation and disinformation, notably conducted by the Russian regime; notes the unacceptable initiatives of Elon Musk to use social media platforms to manipulate public opinion in various Member States; calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor this and to apply the Digital Services Act44 and the Digital Markets Act45 , including in response to Meta’s recent decision on fact-checking mechanisms; |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 44 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act) (OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj). | 44 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act) (OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj). |
| 45 Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2022 on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector and amending Directives (EU) 2019/1937 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Digital Markets Act) (OJ L 265, 12.10.2022, p. 1, ELI: https://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/1925/oj). | 45 Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2022 on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector and amending Directives (EU) 2019/1937 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Digital Markets Act) (OJ L 265, 12.10.2022, p. 1, ELI: https://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/1925/oj). |
Amendment 48
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 26. Encourages the Commission to use clearer language to evaluate compliance with the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU; calls for a greater focus on implementing country-specific recommendations, with follow-up mechanisms and measurable benchmarks; proposes a comprehensive RoL monitoring mechanism involving all EU institutions, Member States and candidate countries in order to foster uniformity; suggests creating a permanent group to monitor RoL violations by Member States; | 26. Encourages the Commission to use clearer language to evaluate compliance with the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU; calls for a greater focus on implementing country-specific recommendations, with follow-up mechanisms and measurable benchmarks; proposes a comprehensive RoL monitoring mechanism involving all EU institutions, Member States and candidate and potential candidate countries in order to foster uniformity; suggests creating a permanent group to monitor RoL violations by Member States and candidate and potential candidate countries; |
Amendment 49
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 27. Stresses the importance of independent judicial systems and access to free legal aid for ensuring equal access to justice; reiterates that adequate resources, including infrastructure and personnel, are crucial for improving justice systems; | 27. Stresses the importance of independent judicial systems and access to free legal aid for ensuring equal access to justice; reiterates that adequate resources, including infrastructure and politically and financially independent personnel, are crucial for improving justice systems; |
Amendment 50
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 28a. Calls on the Commission to evaluate prisons and detention conditions in its rule of law reports, including by including data collection on overcrowding, inadequate living conditions and rates of prisoners’ suicides; calls on the Member States and the candidate and potential candidate countries to allocate adequate resources to modernise prisons, and encourages them to take into account the specific needs of vulnerable individuals, such as women and people with disabilities; |
Amendment 51
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 29. Calls on the Member States to ensure media freedom, independence and pluralism and to fight disinformation; urges swift implementation of the EMFA; | 29. Calls on the Member States and candidate and potential candidate countries to ensure media freedom, independence and pluralism and to fight disinformation; urges swift implementation of the EMFA; |
Amendment 52
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 30. Highlights the role of civil society and independent oversight bodies in monitoring and supporting the implementation of the RoL Report’s recommendations; calls for a structured civil dialogue framework to integrate civil society contributions into the annual RoL cycle, as recommended by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)46 and civil society networks47; reiterates the importance of broad consultation when drafting the report; | 30. Highlights the role of civil society and independent oversight bodies in monitoring and supporting the implementation of the RoL Report’s recommendations and condemns any attack against them; calls for a structured civil dialogue framework to integrate civil society contributions into the annual RoL cycle, as recommended by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)46 and civil society networks47; reiterates the importance of broad consultation with politically independent bodies when drafting the report; |
| __________________ | __________________ |
| 46 EESC opinion of 14 February 2024 entitled ‘Strengthening civil dialogue and participatory democracy in the EU: a path forward’. | 46 EESC opinion of 14 February 2024 entitled ‘Strengthening civil dialogue and participatory democracy in the EU: a path forward’. |
| 47 Civil Society Europe, ‘Joint Civil Society Contribution on Civic Space to the 2024 Annual Rule of Law Report’, June 2024. | 47 Civil Society Europe, ‘Joint Civil Society Contribution on Civic Space to the 2024 Annual Rule of Law Report’, June 2024. |
Amendment 53
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 31. Stresses that peaceful assembly and freedom of association and expression are fundamental rights protected by international law and are essential for democracy and government accountability; condemns the increased pressure on these rights and notes the trend of restricting them; calls on the Member States to thoroughly investigate the excessive use of force and discriminatory treatment by law enforcement agencies; | 31. Stresses that peaceful assembly and freedom of association and expression are fundamental rights protected by international law and are essential for democracy and government accountability; condemns the increased pressure on these rights and notes the trend of restricting them; calls on the Member States to thoroughly investigate the excessive use of force and discriminatory treatment by law enforcement agencies; strongly condemns any violent attacks against peaceful protesters; |
Amendment 54
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 32. Considers that the Commission and the Member States should improve funding mechanisms for CSOs and initiatives that strengthen the judiciary and uphold court independence; recommends that the Commission draft a strategy for protecting civil society and HRDs; | 32. Considers that the Commission, the Member States and the candidate and potential candidate countries should improve funding mechanisms for CSOs and initiatives that strengthen the judiciary and uphold court independence; recommends that the Commission draft a strategy for protecting civil society and HRDs, and that the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders be fully implemented; |
Amendment 55
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 35. Stresses the importance of embedding RoL milestones in funding instruments such as the RRF; deplores the release of EU funds to Hungary despite deficiencies in that country’s judicial independence and anti-corruption frameworks; recommends suspending disbursements until all RoL benchmarks are met; | 35. Stresses the importance of embedding RoL milestones in funding instruments, both internal and external, such as the RRF; deplores the release of EU funds to Hungary despite deficiencies in that country’s judicial independence and anti-corruption frameworks; recommends suspending disbursements until all RoL benchmarks are met; |
Amendment 56
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 35a. Recalls the fundamental role of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance as a Union instrument to support the rule of law, democracy and human rights in candidate and potential candidate countries, including the strengthening of democratic institutions and civil society organisations, as well as progress on good governance and the fight against corruption, the promotion and protection of non-discrimination and gender equality and the strengthening of capacities for conflict prevention and resolution; stresses the importance of strictly applying the conditionality mechanisms as enshrined in the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and in the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans in a transparent manner; recommends that any progress and failures be actively communicated in order to leverage the instruments’ impact on triggering reforms and with a view to improving the authorities’ accountability towards their citizens; calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to share all relevant information with Parliament in order to enable it to play its role accordingly; reiterates its call on the Commission to implement the recommendations of the European Court of Auditors’ Special Report 01/2022, in order to ensure the effective impact of EU financial assistance in support of the rule of law in the Western Balkans; |
Amendment 57
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 35b. Calls for the EU and all candidate and potential candidate countries to establish a framework for effective cooperation between the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the accession countries in order to facilitate close cooperation and prosecution in cases of misuse of EU funds; welcomes the working agreements that some candidate and potential candidate countries have concluded with the EPPO; regrets that cooperation with EPPO is not fully in place in all candidate and potential candidate countries; |
Amendment 58
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 35c. Recommends that the accession process be carefully monitored and evaluated, in particular when it comes to democratic backsliding, on the basis of a clear set of benchmarks; stresses that accession to the Union remains a merit-based process that requires the adoption and implementation of relevant reforms, in particular on democracy, the rule of law and human rights; |
Amendment 59
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 37. Recommends that the Commission and the Member States monitor foreign interference, particularly social media use for manipulation and malicious purposes, including its use by individuals such as Elon Musk to influence public opinion and spread disinformation in Europe; underlines that the Commission must ensure that the RoL is properly implemented within the EU institutions and calls for the inclusion of the EU institutions in its annual RoL report evaluation; | 37. Recommends that the Commission, the Member States and candidate and potential candidate countries monitor foreign interference, particularly social media use for manipulation and malicious purposes, including its use by individuals such as Elon Musk to influence public opinion and spread disinformation in Europe; underlines that the Commission must ensure that the RoL is properly implemented within the EU institutions and calls for the inclusion of the EU institutions in its annual RoL report evaluation; |
Amendment 60
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 37a. Warns against the high likelihood of foreign interference methods being employed in order to influence the outcomes of upcoming elections in the EU and in the candidate and potential candidate countries and insists on thorough monitoring and taking rapid and effective preventive measures to combat potential foreign interference when identified; calls for the Union and its Member States to ensure that all necessary assistance is provided to candidate and potential candidate countries to strengthen their institutional mechanisms, in order to respond to hybrid threats from foreign actors seeking to undermine the fundamental rights of the people of the candidate and potential candidate countries and distort their democratic will, including by interfering in the candidate and potential candidate countries’ elections; |
Amendment 61
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 38. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative to include Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia in its annual RoL report and encourages a close evaluation of the RoL in these accession countries; | 38. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative to include Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia in its annual RoL report and encourages a close evaluation of the RoL in these accession countries; stresses the importance of protecting and monitoring the rights of minorities, including ethnic and religious minorities, in these countries; considers that the inclusion of candidate and potential candidate countries in the future RoL reports, alongside the Member States, will support these countries’ reform efforts to achieve irreversible progress on democracy and the rule of law ahead of accession, and to guarantee that high standards will continue after accession; notes that the RoL report does not include recommendations for these accession countries; further notes that the Commission Enlargement Report, does offer some recommendations on the state of the RoL in these accession countries, however, not in a uniform manner; encourages the Commission to provide concrete recommendations to accession countries on the state of the RoL, and to ensure alignment with the Enlargement Report; calls on the Commission to extend the geographical scope of its RoL reports to cover all candidate and potential candidate countries; |
Amendment 62
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 38a. Urges the Commission and the Member States at all levels to fairly and consistently apply the rule of law conditionality in the accession process of the countries currently negotiating their EU membership, and to clearly and consistently communicate, including publicly, shortcomings that, if not tackled, risk blocking the accession process; urges the Commission to further encourage countries of the Western Balkans to actively protect the rule of law and fundamental and human rights and freedoms, including by delivering the reforms set out in their Reform Agendas under the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans; |
ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT
The rapporteur for the opinion declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION
| Date adopted | 9.4.2025 | |
| Result of final vote | +: –: 0: | 53 14 9 |
| Members present for the final vote | Mika Aaltola, Lucia Annunziata, Petras Auštrevičius, Jordan Bardella, Dan Barna, Wouter Beke, Robert Biedroń, Adam Bielan, Marc Botenga, Helmut Brandstätter, Sebastião Bugalho, Petr Bystron, Tobias Cremer, Özlem Demirel, Elio Di Rupo, Michael Gahler, Alberico Gambino, Geadis Geadi, Giorgos Georgiou, Raphaël Glucksmann, Christophe Gomart, Bernard Guetta, Hana Jalloul Muro, Rasa Juknevičienė, Rihards Kols, Andrey Kovatchev, Vilis Krištopans, Nathalie Loiseau, Reinhold Lopatka, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Jaak Madison, Marion Maréchal, Costas Mavrides, David McAllister, Vangelis Meimarakis, Sven Mikser, Francisco José Millán Mon, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Hannah Neumann, Leoluca Orlando, Kostas Papadakis, Tonino Picula, Nacho Sánchez Amor, Mounir Satouri, Andreas Schieder, Alexander Sell, Davor Ivo Stier, Sebastiaan Stöteler, Stanislav Stoyanov, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Marta Temido, Riho Terras, Hermann Tertsch, Pierre-Romain Thionnet, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Reinier Van Lanschot, Roberto Vannacci, Hilde Vautmans, Nicola Zingaretti | |
| Substitutes present for the final vote | Jaume Asens Llodrà, Pernando Barrena Arza, Jan Farský, Emmanouil Kefalogiannis, Merja Kyllönen, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, András László, Liudas Mažylis, Marco Tarquinio, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Matej Tonin, Ivaylo Valchev, Matthieu Valet, Thomas Waitz | |
| Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote | Jüri Ratas, Adrián Vázquez Lázara, Annamária Vicsek |