On the Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law report

(2025/2239(INI))

The European Parliament,

– 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 the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in particular to the articles thereof relating to respect for and the protection and promotion of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in the Union, including Articles 70, 258, 259, 260, 263, 265 and 267,

– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter),

– having regard to the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 8 July 2025 entitled ‘2025 Rule of Law Report – The rule of law situation in the European Union’ (COM(2025)0900), and the annex thereto containing recommendations for the Member States,

– having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget (the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (the Common Provisions Regulation),

– having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (the Financial Regulation), in particular Article 6(3) thereof,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/692 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1381/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EU) No 390/2014,

– having regard to the Commission’s package of proposals for a Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034,

– having regard to UN instruments on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the Recommendations of the UN Forum on Minority Issues, and to 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 UN Human Rights Council,

– having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the European Social Charter, the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the European Committee of Social Rights, and the conventions, recommendations, resolutions, opinions and reports of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Committee of Ministers, the Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, the Steering Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion, the Venice Commission and other bodies of the Council of Europe,

– having regard to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence,

– having regard to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe,

– having regard to the memorandum of understanding between the Council of Europe and the European Union of 23 May 2007 and the Council conclusions of 17 December 2024 on EU priorities for cooperation with the Council of Europe in 2025-2026,

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 20 December 2017 for a Council decision on the determination of a clear risk of a serious breach by the Republic of Poland of the rule of law (COM(2017)0835), issued in accordance with Article 7(1) TEU,

– having regard to its resolution of 25 October 2016 with recommendations to the Commission on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights,

– having regard to its resolution of 7 February 2018 on protection and non-discrimination with regard to minorities in the EU Member States,

– having regard to its resolution of 1 March 2018 on the Commission’s decision to activate Article 7(1) TEU as regards the situation in Poland,

– having regard to its resolution of 19 April 2018 on the need to establish a European Values Instrument to support civil society organisations which promote fundamental values within the European Union at local and national level,

– having regard to its resolution of 12 September 2018 on a proposal calling on the Council to determine, pursuant to Article 7(1) TEU, the existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded,

– having regard to its resolution of 13 November 2018 on minimum standards for minorities in the EU,

– having regard to its resolution of 14 November 2018 on the need for a comprehensive EU mechanism for the protection of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights,

– having regard to its resolution of 7 October 2020 on the establishment of an EU Mechanism on Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights,

– having regard to its resolution of 8 October 2020 on the rule of law and fundamental rights in Bulgaria

– having regard to its resolution of 13 November 2020 on the impact of COVID-19 measures on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights,

– having regard to its resolution of 17 December 2020 on the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Minority SafePack – one million signatures for diversity in Europe’,

– having regard to its resolution of 10 June 2021 on the rule of law situation in the European Union and the application of the Conditionality Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092,

– having regard to its resolution of 24 June 2021 on the Commission’s 2020 Rule of Law Report,

– having regard to its resolution of 8 July 2021 on the creation of guidelines for the application of the general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget,

– having regard to its resolution of 16 September 2021 with recommendations to the Commission on identifying gender-based violence as a new area of crime listed in Article 83(1) TFEU,

– having regard to its resolution of 11 November 2021 entitled ‘on strengthening democracy and media freedom and pluralism in the EU: the undue use of actions under civil and criminal law to silence journalists, NGOs and civil society’,

– having regard to its resolution of 15 December 2021 on the evaluation of preventive measures for avoiding corruption, irregular spending and misuse of EU and national funds in case of emergency funds and crisis-related spending areas,

– having regard to its resolution of 8 March 2022 on the shrinking space for civil society in Europe,

– having regard to its resolution of 10 March 2022 on the rule of law and the consequences of the ECJ ruling,

– having regard to its resolution of 11 March 2021 on the declaration of the EU as an LGBTIQ Freedom Zone,

– having regard to its resolution of 19 May 2022 on the Commission’s 2021 Rule of Law Report,

– having regard to its resolution of 9 June 2022 on the rule of law and the potential approval of the Polish national recovery plan (RRF),

– having regard to its resolution of 15 September 2022 on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2020 and 2021,

– having regard to its resolution of 15 September 2022 on the proposal for a Council decision determining, pursuant to Article 7(1) of the Treaty on European Union, the existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded,

– having regard to its resolution of 20 October 2022 on the rule of law in Malta, five years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia,

– having regard to its resolution of 20 October 2022 on growing hate crimes against LGBTIQ+ people across Europe in light of the recent homophobic murder in Slovakia,

– having regard to its resolution of 10 November 2022 on racial justice, non-discrimination and anti-racism in the EU,

– having regard to its resolution of 24 November 2022 on the assessment of Hungary’s compliance with the rule of law conditions under the Conditionality Regulation and state of play of the Hungarian RRP,

– having regard to its resolution of 30 March 2023 on the 2022 Rule of Law Report – the rule of law situation in the European Union,

– having regard to its resolution of 18 April 2023 on the institutional relations between the EU and the Council of Europe,

– having regard to its resolution of 7 February 2024 on the rule of law and media freedom in Greece,

– having regard to its resolution of 28 February 2024 entitled ‘Report on the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law report’,

– having regard to its resolution of 29 February 2024 on deepening EU integration in view of future enlargement,

– having regard to its resolution of 1 June 2023 on the breaches of the Rule of Law and fundamental rights in Hungary and frozen EU funds,

– having regard to the report of its Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA) and to its recommendation of 15 June 2023 to the Council and the Commission following the investigation of alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware,

– having regard to its resolution of 11 July 2023 on the electoral law, the investigative committee and the rule of law in Poland,

– having regard to its resolution of 19 October 2023 on the rule of law in Malta: six years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and the need to protect journalists,

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 6 December 2023 entitled ‘No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred’ (JOIN(2023)0051),

– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2024 on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union – annual report 2022 and 2023,

– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2024 on extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime,

– having regard to its resolution of 24 April 2024 on ongoing hearings under Article 7(1) TEU regarding Hungary to strengthen the rule of law and its budgetary implications,

– having regard to the conclusion of the Article 7(1) TEU procedure in relation to Poland, as announced by the Commission on 29 May 2024, following steps taken by Poland to restore compliance with EU rule of law standards,

– having regard to Resolution 2262 (2019) of 24 January 2019 of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on promoting the rights of persons belonging to national minorities,

– having regard to the special reports of the European Court of Auditors of 17 December 2024 on Enforcing EU Law (28/2024), of 22 February 2024 on the Rule of Law in the EU (03/2024), and of 10 January 2022 on EU support for the rule of law in the Western Balkans (01/2022), to its review of 28 February 2024 on the Commission’s rule of law reporting (02/2024), and to the special report on Transparency of EU funding granted to NGOs (11/2025) and to their respective recommendations,

– having regard to the Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2024-2029, presented to Parliament on 18 July 2024 by Ursula von der Leyen, then candidate for President of the Commission, to the President of the Commission’s State of the Union speech of 10 September 2025 in the European Parliament and to the Commission communication of 2026 of 21 October 2025 entitled ‘Commission work programme 2026’ (COM(2025)0870),

– having regard to the 2025 Eurobarometer surveys on corruption, which show that corruption remains a serious concern for citizens and businesses in the EU,

– having regard to the feedback reports, mission reports, written questions and answers of its Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 8 October 2025 entitled ‘Union of Equality: LGBTIQ+ equality strategy 2026 - 2030’,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 November 2025 entitled ‘Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2025)0690) and its accompanying staff working documents (the Enlargement Package of 4 November 2025),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 12 November 2025 entitled ‘European Democracy Shield: Empowering Strong and Resilient Democracies’, (JOIN(2025)0791) and to the Commission communication of 12 November 2025 entitled ‘EU Strategy for Civil Society’ (COM(2025)0790),

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinions of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Committee on Budgets and the opinion of the Subcommittee on Human Rights,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A100000/2025),

A. whereas the EU is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, as set out in Article 2 TEU and as reflected in the Charter and enshrined in international human rights treaties; whereas the Charter is part of EU primary law; whereas these values are shared by all the Member States and should be upheld and actively promoted by the EU and each Member State individually in all their policies, both internally and externally in a consistent way; whereas any undermining of these values poses a systemic threat to the rights and freedoms of the people living in the EU;

B. whereas the EU cannot disregard the social and fundamental rights dimensions upon which it was built; whereas the persistent shortcomings in the protection of economic and social rights must be regarded as an integral part of the systemic threat to the values of Article 2 TEU;

C. whereas in 2025 the EU has faced serious and multifaceted challenges in its Member States in relation to the protection of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights, which are all intrinsically connected;

D. whereas the Commission’s 2026 work programme underlines the need for an integrated annual rule-of-law cycle with a common pace, clear milestones and the active contribution of all the EU institutions; whereas respect for the rule of law remains imperative to safeguard all EU funds;

E. whereas the Commission’s annual rule of law report should also cover EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, in order to provide a transparent assessment of their compliance with rule-of-law standards;

Justice systems

1. Calls on the Member States to take the necessary measures to ensure independent judicial systems and access to free legal aid, thereby guaranteeing equal access to justice for all, and reiterates the need for concrete actions to improve access, specifically for marginalised and vulnerable groups;

2. Calls on the Member States to implement pending judgments of the CJEU and the ECtHR promptly, and suggests the establishment of a monitoring unit to monitor the implementation of CJEU and ECtHR rulings relating to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in EU countries, and to fully integrate the monitoring unit’s findings into the annual rule of law report;

3. Underlines the clear link between rule-of-law backsliding and serious violations of fundamental and minority rights, including the excessive use of force by law enforcement, lack of due process for detainees, political or institutional incitement to hatred, disproportionate surveillance powers, and restrictive measures targeting civil society organisations; firmly believes that the Commission should assess the extent to which Member States address these issues in order to ensure an accessible, effective and impartial justice system;

4. Calls on the Commission to address prison conditions as a rule-of-law concern, in the light of widespread overcrowding, inadequate living conditions and rising suicide rates, which undermine detainees’ fundamental rights across Member States’ penitentiary systems;

Anti-corruption framework

5. Reiterates that corruption is a serious threat to democracy, the rule of law and fair treatment for all citizens;

6. Calls on the Member States, candidate countries and potential candidate countries, as well as EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, to strengthen preventive measures against corruption, including transparent management of EU funds, codes of conduct for public officials, mandatory asset declarations, conflict-of-interest rules, early warning systems and limitations on revolving-door practices;

7. Calls on the Member States to guarantee the independence, impartiality and adequate resourcing of disciplinary boards, prosecution services, anti-corruption agencies and the judiciary;

8. Stresses that the rule of law requires public officials to act transparently and in the public interest, without abuse of power or arbitrary decision-making; calls on the Member States to promote a culture of integrity through regular anti-corruption training for public officials, law enforcement and judiciary, and by actively engaging civil society in monitoring government actions;

9. Urges the Member States to ensure prompt, thorough and impartial investigations of corruption cases, with particular priority given to cases involving high-level officials, in order to safeguard the rule of law, uphold public trust and ensure accountability at all levels of government;

10. Calls on the Member States to protect whistleblowers and journalists reporting on corruption or mismanagement of EU funds, by ensuring confidential reporting channels, effective remedies against retaliation, and the protection of investigative journalism and freedom of expression;

The protection of journalists, and media pluralism and freedom

11. Strongly believes that the assassination of investigative journalists constitutes a direct attack on the rule of law, as it not only undermines the capacity of citizens and institutions to hold those in power accountable, but also represents one of the most extreme forms of censorship, posing a direct threat to freedom of expression and the functioning of democratic institutions;

12. Strongly condemns the surveillance of journalists, in particular by means of spyware; remains dismayed at the Commission’s refusal to implement all the recommendations of Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry into the use of Pegasus and equivalent spyware, and considers it a failure to act;

13. Remains deeply concerned that media ownership, whether in public or private hands, remains highly concentrated in many Member States, posing a risk to diversity of information and viewpoints; calls on the Member States to adopt legislative frameworks to prevent horizontal concentration, ensure transparency of ownership and management, and guarantee independent oversight and compliance mechanisms to safeguard editorial and journalistic independence and the media’s role as a public watchdog;

14. Calls on the Member States and candidate countries to ensure the protection of journalists and other media professionals in the EU in line with Commission recommendations 2021/1534 and 2022/758;

15. Calls on the Member States to fully implement the Anti-SLAPP Directive;

16. Calls on the Commission to assess whether EU sanctions to combat disinformation comply with the proportionality requirement under EU law and with Article 11 of the Charter; strongly believes that the right to be heard must be guaranteed before such measures are applied by the Council, especially where the rights of EU citizens, in particular journalists, risk being undermined;

Civil society space

17. Emphasises the crucial role played by grassroots and community organisations, trade unions, activist groups, human rights defenders and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in promoting and upholding democracy, equality, rule of law and fundamental rights, and in ensuring accountability for state and private actions;

18. Condemns the unprecedented and intensified attack on civic space across the EU, with notable restrictions on the space for civil society and the right to peaceful assembly being witnessed in several Member States; strongly believes that the global trend toward democratic backsliding and the erosion of the rule of law, as well as the securitisation of agendas, have intensified restrictions on the right to peaceful assembly; urges the Member States to create a safe and enabling environment that guarantees freedom of assembly;

19. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to improve the legal environment for civil society by ensuring that any measure restricting the right of associations to seek, secure and use resources, including foreign resources, must pursue one of the legitimate aims under Article 11(2) ECHR;

20. Is concerned by the growing legal and financial restrictions, smear campaigns, and criminalisation of civil society organisations and human rights defenders; stresses that reporting requirements for NGOs must not exceed those strictly necessary and proportionate to the specific aims pursued;

21. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure the allocation of adequate financial resources for civil society organisations and human rights defenders; calls on the Member States to provide effective protection for human rights defenders, including rapid response mechanisms to threats;

Fundamental rights

22. Welcomes the LGBTIQ+ equality strategy 2026-2030 and urges the Commission to present a proposal for a binding EU ban on conversion practices in all Member States;

23. Is deeply concerned about the discriminatory measures introduced in some Member States under the pretext of fighting ‘LGBTIQ propaganda’ and ‘gender ideology’; stresses that the Commission must act swiftly and decisively when Member States circumvent EU law, in particular the Charter;

24. Calls on all Member States to protect LGBTIQ+ rights in compliance with EU law, the Charter, and CJEU and ECtHR case-law; recalls that legal barriers to recognising same-sex partnerships or parenthood across borders persist in several Member States, violating the principles of free movement and non-discrimination;

25. Is deeply concerned by the increasing levels of racism and xenophobia across the EU; condemns the incidents of hate crime and hate speech motivated by racism, xenophobia or religious intolerance, or bias against a person’s disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or minority status; calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt and implement effective measures to combat all forms of racism, with the full inclusion of civil society and with the contribution of relevant stakeholders, such as the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights;

26. Condemns the fact that some Member States have adopted laws, policies and practices that undermine the effective protection of the fundamental rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, on land and at sea; calls on the Commission and the Member States to put the fundamental rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, as well as the principle of responsibility-sharing, at the centre of its migration and asylum policies, to ensure that people’s rights to asylum and international protection are upheld;

27. Welcomes the Commission’s decision to maintain its proposal for an equal treatment directive and urges the Council to finalise and adopt it without further delay;

28. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take effective action against gender-based violence, which should be added to the list of ‘EU crimes’, and calls for an EU legislative proposal on combating rape as defined by the lack of consent;

29. Reiterates its call for access to safe, legal abortion to be enshrined in the Charter;

The rule of law and the EU budget

30. Is deeply concerned about fundamental rights violations facilitated by or linked to the use of EU funds in some Member States, notably in the areas of housing and educational segregation, reception conditions for asylum seekers, the institutionalisation of persons with disabilities and of children, and certain urban regeneration initiatives; calls on the Commission to include recommendations addressing these violations in its annual rule of law report; proposes that a specific share of EU funds be earmarked for the independent monitoring of EU-funded actions, including assessments of their legal and fundamental rights impacts, as well as for legal research, strategic litigation and the independent evaluation of potential violations, with strong involvement of civil society organisations;

31. Insists that the measures required for the release of EU funding, as defined by the relevant decisions taken under the Common Provisions Regulation, the Recovery and Resilience Facility Regulation and the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation, must be assessed coherently as an integral package and that no payments should be made while deficiencies persist; believes that the Commission should take further action under the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation as regards other breaches of the rule of law, such as those related to the judiciary;

32. Welcomes the suggestion in the Commission’s proposal for the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework to make nearly half of funds conditional upon compliance with the rule of law and the Charter before their approval;

The rule of law and the single market dimension

33. Acknowledges that a single market dimension has been included in the rule of law report to address rule of law issues affecting the overall economic environment, companies and workers, with the aim of ensuring that rights are defended, corruption is punished, and contracts are enforced; stresses that a functioning justice system, a strong anti-corruption framework, media pluralism, and adequate checks and balances all have an economic impact and influence the smooth functioning of the single market; proposes that in its assessment the Commission engages even more with stakeholders and civil society organisations, including trade unions;

34. Believes that integrating the single market dimension should complement rather than overshadow fundamental areas such as civic space, compliance with fundamental rights and media freedom, which should be recognised as key pillars in the report;

Rule of law at the core of the enlargement process and the EU’s external action

35. Reiterates that the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU must be respected not only by current Member States but also by future EU members during the accession process; encourages a close evaluation of the rule of law in all countries in an accession process; encourages the Commission to provide concrete recommendations to accession countries on the state of the rule of law, and to ensure alignment with the enlargement report;

Improving the Commission’s reporting process

36. Calls on the Commission to be more transparent about the criteria it uses to select information from civil society, international bodies, national authorities, and other stakeholders in the reporting process; notes that the consultation process could be strengthened by ensuring appropriate follow-up with civil society actors on the input they provide, and insists that the reporting process be evidence-based, transparent and non-partisan;

37. Stresses that Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs’ Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG) has sent several ad hoc delegations to some Member States in recent years, and that the state of the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental rights has been assessed as exhibiting greater deficiencies than those highlighted in the Commission’s reports; believes that the DRFMG monitoring exercise should be duly considered within the framework of the consultation procedure and in the subsequent drafting of the report;

38. Reiterates the need for an independent monitoring body, composed of independent legal, academic and human rights experts, to be involved in the drafting of the report; calls on the Commission to enhance cooperation with EU and international bodies;

39. Believes that the Commission should be clearer in identifying and articulating the trajectory each Member State is on, including early warning signs and the identification of serious and systemic issues, and stresses that the Commission should ensure coherence between the issues identified and the recommendations issued;

40. Calls on the Commission to issue recommendations that are more operational, distinguishing those relating to serious and systemic issues, and setting out concrete measures, timelines and benchmarks for their implementation by the Member States;

41. Asks the Commission to strengthen the follow-up mechanism for non-implemented recommendations by linking them more directly to existing enforcement tools, including infringement proceedings and budget conditionality;

Horizontal recommendations

42. Believes that EU-level interinstitutional dialogue and cooperation on the rule of law should be strengthened; regrets the fact that the Commission and the Council have so far rejected its offer to enter into an interinstitutional agreement on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights; reaffirms its willingness to resume talks on this agreement;

43. Reiterates its call on the Commission to expand the scope of the report to cover all aspects of Article 2 TEU, and to include broader indicators, such as media independence, the role of civil society, fundamental rights, academic and artistic freedom, gender equality, the protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, respect for international law, free and fair elections, and the functioning of democratic institutions;

44. Strongly believes that EU institutions must fulfil their obligations regarding the rule of law, and underlines that assessing the adherence of EU institutions to the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU, including the Union’s internal consistency in upholding these values across its policies and external actions, is essential in order to safeguard the EU’s credibility and legitimacy;

45. Calls on the Council to make its Rule of Law dialogue more transparent, interactive and outcome-oriented, including by issuing detailed conclusions and providing feedback on Commission and Parliament findings; deplores the inability of the Council to make meaningful progress in the ongoing Article 7(1) TEU procedure and believes that any further delay to the Council’s action would amount to a breach of the rule of law principle by the Council itself,

46. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

As Rapporteur of the own-initiative report on the Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law report, I have sought to respond to the political priority expressed by the majority of the political groups in the LIBE Committee, as well as to the Commission’s request to issue our annual report earlier than in previous years. The accelerated timeline has made it challenging to balance a thorough analysis with the constraints of a compressed drafting process.

In light of these limitations, I have chosen to concentrate on the overarching calls made in each chapter and to highlight key areas where the Commission’s reporting could be further strengthened.

I have deliberately refrained from naming specific Member States. This represents a significant concession on my part, as the Left Group has consistently advocated for explicitly identifying countries in reports and motions of the European Parliament when breaches of the rule of law, democracy, or fundamental rights occur. We firmly believe that providing concrete examples is essential for accountability and for demonstrating that all Member States are held to the same standards, without prejudice or regard to their position within the Union. However, the increasing influence of national politics in today’s Parliament makes it extremely difficult to reach an objective and non-partisan agreement among political groups if specific Member States were mentioned. Therefore, in order to ensure that the report remains as consensual, inclusive, and broadly backed as possible, I have decided to refrain from citing specific Member States on this occasion.

My main priority has been to uphold long-standing commitments of the European Parliament, including reaffirming the intrinsic link between the rule of law and fundamental rights, and ensuring the involvement of a network of independent experts in the Commission’s reporting process. Such an approach is essential to depoliticise the assessment, prevent critical issues from being overlooked, and ensure that emerging trends are clearly and consistently articulated.

Other priorities include the protection of journalists and civil society organisations; addressing fundamental rights violations facilitated or linked to the use -or exploitation thereof- of EU funds in some Member States; and ensuring the thorough, impartial and timely investigation of corruption cases, with particular priority given to those involving high-level officials, as a means to safeguard the rule of law and public trust in democratic institutions. Finally, EU institutions themselves must fully respect their obligations regarding the rule of law. Assessing their adherence to the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU — including the Union’s internal coherence in upholding these values across its policies and external actions — is indispensable to maintaining the EU’s credibility and legitimacy.

In this context, it is equally essential to reinforce the role of economic and social rights within the Union’s rule-of-law framework. A credible assessment of the state of the rule of law cannot overlook the profound impact that housing insecurity, unequal access to essential services and deepening social inequalities have on people’s ability to exercise their fundamental rights. When individuals cannot afford adequate housing, live in precarious conditions or face systemic barriers to social protection, their equal treatment before the law becomes theoretical rather than real. A holistic, people-centred approach to the rule of law must therefore address the structural socio-economic conditions that weaken democratic participation and undermine trust in public institutions.

I am also very concerned about the normalisation of racist narratives in public discourse, including by political actors and public authorities. Such rhetoric undermines equality before the law, fuels discrimination and hostility against racialised communities, and creates conditions in which individuals are unable to exercise their fundamental rights without fear or intimidation. Tackling racism and discriminatory narratives must, therefore, form an integral part of the Union’s rule-of-law agenda.

Ultimately, the goal of all EU institutions must be to provide an assessment of the situation of the rule of law across the EU that is objective, credible and shielded from party-political influences. I am deeply concerned about the growing risk of rule of law backsliding in several Member States, particularly in the context of the rise of far-right narratives and the increasing securitisation of public policy. At such a moment, it is essential that our evaluations remain firmly grounded in evidence, law and fundamental rights, rather than shaped by political convenience. Only by ensuring that our work is independent, rigorous and non-politicised can we maintain the credibility and legitimacy of the Union’s rule-of-law framework.

I intend to table amendments introducing recitals analysing general trends in the Member States. These recitals are designed to complement the operative part of the report by identifying patterns, emerging risks and systemic challenges, thereby reinforcing the analytical basis for our recommendations.

Through this approach, the report aims to combine timely political engagement with concrete proposals to enhance the effectiveness, transparency and impact of the Commission’s reporting, thereby contributing to a more robust and coherent rule-of-law framework within the European Union.