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Situation of fundamental rights in the EU in 2022 and 2023

TA-9-2024-0050 · P9_TA(2024)0050 · PE749.923

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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 at borders, and calls for action on rule of law, equality, social rights and institutional safeguards. It asks Member States to decriminalise defamation, regulate spyware strictly, protect journalists and civil society, and ensure judicial independence. It urges the Commission and Council to act on anti-discrimination, equality bodies and EU accession to the ECHR. It calls for an EU mechanism on democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights, a protection mechanism for human rights defenders, and an independent ethics body. It supports freezing EU funds where rule of law conditions are not met. It demands action on poverty, housing, healthcare, digitalisation and environmental rights, and calls for the right to abortion to be included in the Charter. It welcomes the EU's ratification of the Istanbul Convention and the Commission's proposal on violence against women.

Key points

  1. Condemns the record number of imprisoned journalists in 2022 and calls for justice for killed investigative journalists.
  2. Calls on Member States to decriminalise defamation, remove prison sentences, and address SLAPPs through criminal proceedings.
  3. Reiterates concern over Pegasus and equivalent spyware targeting journalists, politicians and civil society, and calls for strict regulation and independent oversight.
  4. Urges Member States to draw up national action plans for the safety of journalists and create a favourable environment for independent media.
  5. Stresses that corruption is incompatible with democracy and the rule of law, calls for zero tolerance, an independent ethics body and full implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Directive.
  6. Highlights serious concerns about judicial independence in several Member States and condemns political influence over the judiciary.
  7. Supports an EU strategy and protection mechanism for human rights defenders, and minimum standards for the protection of civil society organisations.
  8. Supports freezing EU funds through the Recovery and Resilience Facility and conditionality measures until rule of law conditions are met, and calls on the European Council to act on Hungary under Article 7(2) TEU.
  9. Calls for an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, and urges the Commission and Council to negotiate with Parliament.
  10. Condemns disproportionate force against peaceful protesters and calls for transparent investigations and alternative practices to maintain public order.
  11. Calls for a strong European media freedom act to guarantee media independence, plurality, transparency of ownership and protection of journalistic sources.
  12. Condemns fundamental rights violations at EU borders, including pushbacks, arbitrary detention and criminalisation of humanitarian workers, and calls for search and rescue operations.

Who is affected

  • Member States, which are urged to implement recommendations on journalists, spyware, corruption, judicial independence and border rights.
  • Journalists and media actors, who face threats, surveillance and SLAPPs, and for whom protection is demanded.
  • Civil society organisations and human rights defenders, who face restrictions and harassment, and for whom protection standards are sought.
  • Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, who face violence, pushbacks and detention, and for whom rights and rescue are demanded.
  • Persons with disabilities, Roma, LGBTIQ+ people and other minorities, who face discrimination and violence, and for whom equality measures are called.

Figures and deadlines

  • 238 000 premature deaths from fine particulate matter air pollution in the Union in 2020.
  • Up to nine in ten hate crimes and hate-motivated attacks in the EU are not reported.
  • More than one in five children at risk of poverty and almost one in four European citizens at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
  • EU ambient air quality standards to be aligned with World Health Organization guidelines by 2030.
  • Istanbul Convention entered into force on 1 October 2023.
  • Horizontal anti-discrimination directive blocked in the Council since 2008.

Legal basis: Article 2 TEU, Article 6(2) TEU, Article 7(1) and (2) TEU, Article 10 TEU, Article 19 of the Charter, Article 21 of the Charter, Article 22 of the Charter, Article 83(1) TFEU, Article 86 TFEU, Article 151 TFEU, Article 263 TFEU