scholarly journals The Proposal to Create the European Union Mechanism to Monitor Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights, and the Council of Europe Reaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 475-486
Author(s):  
Kamil Spryszak ◽  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
The Rule Of Law

scholarly journals Hungary and the Indirect Protection of EU Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 1959-1979 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Dawson ◽  
Elise Muir
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Central Place ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Far Right ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Fundamental Values ◽  
Eu Fundamental Rights ◽  
The Eu

According to Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, the European Union is a political and economic union founded on a respect for fundamental rights and the rule of law, referred to hereafter as EU fundamental values. The central place of this commitment in the EU Treaties suggests a founding assumption: That the EU is a Union of states who themselves see human rights and the rule of law as irrevocable parts of their political and legal order. Reminiscent of the entry of Jorg Haider's far-right Freedom Party into the Austrian government in 2000, the events of 2012 have done much to shake that assumption; questioning both how interwoven the rule of law tradition is across the present-day EU, and the role the EU ought to play in policing potential violations of fundamental rights carried out via the constitutional frameworks of its Member States. Much attention in this field, much like the focus of this paper, has been placed on events in one state in particular: Hungary.

scholarly journals An Old Procedure with new Solutions for the Rule of Law Crisis

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Franziska-Marie Laura Hilpert
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Separation Of Powers ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Enforcement Mechanism ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Small Things ◽  
The Eu

Suggested citation:  Franziska-Marie Laura Hilpert, 'An Old Procedure with new Solutions for the Rule of Law Crisis' (2019) 2(2) NJEL 1. While commentators for the past years, have highlighted that there is no effective enforcement mechanism after accession for the values of the European Union which are enshrined in Article 2 TEU, the Juncker Commission has announced in 2017 that it will be ‘bigger and more ambitious on big things, and smaller and more modest on small things’ thus applying a more strategic approach to enforcement in terms of handling infringements. This Article thus analyses two cases brought by the Juncker Commission after 2017 and on their bases seeks to show that the infringement procedure, when applied strategically, is and remains an effective enforcement mechanism even for the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU in the ‘rule of law crisis’. Thus, by way of analysis of the case C-619/18 Commission v Poland and its comparison with similar cases which have not been as effective, it is shown how the infringement procedure can prevent the enforcement of the most controversial provisions regarding the judiciary in Hungary and Poland and ensure the separation of powers, which is essential for the rule of law. Moreover, by comparison of the Commission’s request and the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union in C-235/17 Commission v Hungary it is shown how the Charter could become a significant legal instrument in the Commissions infringement policy towards Member States that are undermining fundamental rights and the rule of law. This Article thereby aims to contribute to the discussion on how to effectively enforce the values of the EU enshrined in Article 2 TEU through an existing enforcement mechanism.

scholarly journals Dislocations on understanding the rule of law

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-9
Author(s):  
J.J. Gomes Canotilho
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Legal Standards ◽  
Constitutional Discourse

This paper analyses the problems of the rule of law in today’s legal and constitutional discourse. The criticisms the rule of law principle is subjected to, which contribute to its downgrading and to changes in the legal standards that had been progressively achieved, are especially examined, namely, the so-called hyper-protection of fundamental rights and the difficult harmonization with the idea of efficiency. Furthermore, the author identifies the de facto conditions that accentuate the identified problems, such as the systemic deficit of the European Union and the jurisdictional deficit that has become evident since the economic crisis.

scholarly journals Independence of the Prosecution Service: European Approaches

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-97
Author(s):  
Anna Fiodorova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Judicial Independence ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Modern State ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Social Interests ◽  
Criminal Matters

Nowadays, a modern state without the institution of prosecution could rarely be found. It is considered one of the crucial elements for the proper functioning of the system of justice and for the application of the rule of law through such functions as carrying out of pre-trial investigation and / or the prosecution in criminal matters, safeguarding social interests, and judicial independence. The objective of this article is to provide a brief reflection on the necessity and the content of the independence of the modern prosecutor’s office. The article is based on the policy tendencies used in the Council of Europe and the European Union and with the more profound analysis of the legal regulation of the Spanish prosecutor’s office and its conformity with these tendencies.

Europe to the Rescue

2019 ◽  
pp. 192-241
Author(s):  
Wojciech Sadurski
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
European Court ◽  
Venice Commission ◽  
Naming And Shaming ◽  
Near Future ◽  
The Eu

The Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU) possess significant legal instruments to affect and reverse anti-democratic changes in Poland, and some of these instruments have already been used, with varying degrees of success. The chapter opens with the CoE’s, and in particular the Venice Commission and the European Court of Human Rights’ contributions to policing Polish assaults on the rule of law. It then turns to the EU, and reflects upon the question as to whether the EU—with its assortment of different measures of ‘naming and shaming’ (Art. 7.1 Treaty on European Union (TEU)), sanctions (Arts 7.2 and 7.3 TEU), and legal infringement actions, as well as its newly crafted ‘rule of law framework’ (also known as the pre-Article 7 procedure)—has been so far, and can be in the near future, effective in cabining and reversing anti-democratic trends in one of its largest member states. The conclusion is affirmative: the EU has an important, even if limited, role to play in assisting Polish defenders of the rule of law and democracy.

scholarly journals The requirement for effective judicial protection as a part of the Rule of Law in European Union law

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 51-67
Author(s):  
Paulina Kochańska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Legal Analysis ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Union Law ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Charter Of Fundamental Rights ◽  
Judicial Protection

This article aims to present the importance of ensuring effective judicial protection in the Member States of the European Union. Within the scope of the study, the substance and content of the rule of law were studied, with particular emphasis of court independence, an important part of the effective judicial protection principle (article 19 TEU and article 47 Charter of Fundamental Rights). The perspective was captured in general, directing the considerations directly towards the principle of effective judicial protection. The legal analysis was carried out in the light of the recent case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, and enriched by the analysis of the EU law doctrine.

scholarly journals International and European Norms on the Rule of Law from the Perspective of the Republic of Serbia

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 229-244
Author(s):  
Bojan Tubić
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Legal Order ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Administrative Practice ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Definition Of

This paper examines international and European norms concerning the principle of the rule of law and its implications for the Republic of Serbia’s legal order. There is no universally accepted definition of the rule of law, but some common elements can be found in international legislative acts and jurisprudence. The European Union and Council of Europe have substantial legislation on this issue; with their courts’ jurisprudence, they have a significant influence on their Member States’ comprehension of the rule of law principle. The Republic of Serbia has embraced the principle in its Constitution and developed it in its legislation. It will also accept and include European interpretations of the rule of law in its legislation and judicial and administrative practice by joining the European Union.

A Hard Law Approach to States Systemic Violations of Article 2 of the Treaty of the European Union

2020 ◽  
pp. 363-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Poiares Maduro ◽  
Benedita Menezes Queiroz
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
National Level ◽  
Legal Order ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
The Eu

The rule of law is under threat in the European Union. Systemic violations of fundamental rights are affecting the rule of law, democracy, and judicial independence in some Member States and consequently the EU legal order. The level of interdependence between the Member States and the EU legal order is such that systemic violations of those principles in the Member States end up impacting on EU compliance with the same principles. Article 7 TEU did not prove, however, to be the most effective tool to face these problems due to its political nature. The EU’s intervention in the form of infringement actions to safeguard the rule of law at the national level may be a suitable action to address some these serious violations of fundamental rights. Despite of the earlier hesitation to take a bolder action in this regard, the EU Commission, after the Court of Justice’s recent decisions in Associação Sindical dos Juízes Portuguese and LM, brought infringement proceedings against Poland challenging this country reforms that put into question the independence of its judiciary. The Court established its power of judicial review over the rule of law in the Member States in C-619/18 Commission v Poland. Ultimately, this decision highlighted the role of EU law in safeguarding the rule of law in its Member States, but more importantly in safeguarding the rule of law in the EU legal order as a whole.

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