Press release – ‘Not there yet’: Rule of law conditionality trilogues continue
After conclusion of the third round of informal legislative negotiations with the Council, EP negotiators said on Tuesday:
“Some progress was made today but we are not there yet. The EP’s position is clear: we need a functioning mechanism that works in practice and protects the final recipients of the EU money. 77% of the EU taxpayers have confirmed that this is what they expect from the EU legislators“.
Next steps
The next round of informal inter-institutional negotiations is scheduled to take place on Thursday the 29th October.
EP negotiating team on Rule of Law conditionality
Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE) (Co-chair, Budgetary control)
Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, BE) (Co-chair, Budgets)
Petri Sarvamaa (EPP, FI) (Co-rapporteur)
Eider Gardiazabal Rubial (S&D, ES) (Co-rapporteur)
Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA, DE) (LIBE rapporteur)
Lefteris Christoforou (EPP, CY)
Daniel Freund (Greens/EFA, DE)
Alexandra Geese (Greens/EFA, DE)
Background
The European Parliament has been ready to start inter-institutional negotiations on the “rule of law conditionality” regulation since January 2019, when MEPs approved their first reading position. The EP’s main demands were:
– to link EU funds to the respect to the rule of law and fundamental rights in member states;
– an “applicable mechanism” that actually can be triggered;
– to protect the beneficiaries (final recipients of EU funds);
– to include the Parliament in any decision to trigger the mechanism, and
– a panel of independent experts to assist the Commission.
In a recent EU-wide survey (conducted October 2020), 77% of Europeans insisted that the EU should only provide funds to member states if the national government implements the rule of law and democratic principles.