The European Union is at a crucial turning point.
The concrete implementation of the Recovery Plan, presented by the European Commission to save and relaunch a sustainable European economy, is bringing out conflicts on a decisive point. Should European financial resources allocated to national governments be linked to respect for the rule of law or not?
Some governments, such as those of Poland and Hungary, oppose this conditionality.
Important political values are at stake.
A trilogue has developed under the European Union procedure between the Parliament, the Commission and the Presidency of the European Council. An interim agreement was reached on 5 November.
For the outcome of trilogue on the Rule of law conditionality pls. see
On October 20. in the European Parliament, 100 members from 18 EU countries had launched a high-profile Appeal with concrete proposals.
Below you can find the full text of the call with the list of signatories.
The Appeal
The European Union has insufficient resources to effectively combat misuse of EU funds and violations of the rule of law in the member states. The situation in countries like Hungary and Poland clearly shows that the EU must finally act. The EU Commission and the European Parliament have put forward good proposals for a rule of law mechanism. At the EU summit in July, the member states greatly weakened this mechanism, and the German government was finally gutted for the search for compromise between the EU Council, the EU Commission and the EU Parliament. A qualified majority is required for sanctions, the criteria were limited to serious corruption, all others were deleted. In addition, the Council, i.e. unanimity, should deal with sanctions.
For the next round of the trialogue procedure today we have launched this appeal, which over 100 parliamentarians from 19 countries have signed.
The European Union is founded on the shared values of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental human rights. This is enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty of the EU.
The German Presidency of the Council of the European Union is currently facing a tremendous challenge: It must find a compromise on the next EU budget and the Next Generation EU recovery plan. Both dossiers would have a real added value for European citizens, since they will help to overcome the economic consequences of the Corona crisis and hopefully kick-start Europe’s transformation into an ecological and social market economy.
At the same time, negotiations are led to protect the European Budget and our financial interests against breaches of the Rule of Law.
We strongly regret the fact that the European Council significantly weakened the efforts of the Commission and Parliament to uphold the rule of law framework for the MFF and the Next Generation EU Fund. We therefore call on the German Presidency and all Member State governments to stand up for an EU conditionality on the rule of law that deserves this name and to agree to
- A clear and decisive process for determining adherence to the rule of law. This should take the form of a delegated decision by the Commission that can only be reversed by a qualified majority vote in the Council.
- A scope that includes violations of the principles of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, at a bare minimum.
- Take out the option of Member countries being able to postpone an agreement to a future Council meeting.
- A system that allows European citizens, local authorities and companies to access EU funds directly, should their government’s behavior prevent them from receiving them through regular channels. No European citizen should be punished for their government’s failure to respect and uphold the founding principles of our Union.
This call to action is highly urgent. What we are facing is an unprecedented and escalating crisis of our shared values, which threatens the very survival of the EU as a project of democracy and peace. The rule of law is no matter of East versus West, no matter of frugals versus friends of cohesion. European democracy is a matter concerning all European citizens – let’s protect our shared values!
Dr. Franziska Brantner, European policy spokesperson of the Green Party in the Bundestag
Daniel Freund, negotiator in the Committee on Budgetary Control for the Green Group in the European
List of all signatories
| Auken, Margrete | MEP | Denmark | Socialistisk Folkeparti |
| Nienass, Niklas | MEP | Germany | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
| Peter-Hansen, Kira | MEP | Denmark | Socialistisk Folkeparti |
| Strik, Tineke | MEP | Netherlands | GroenLinks |
| Guerreiro, Francisco | MEP | Portugal | Independent |
| Ujhelyi, István | MEP | Hungary | Magyar Szocialista Párt |
| Nart, Javier | MEP | Spain | Independent |
| Vana, Monika | MEP | Austria | Die Grünen |
| Köster, Dietmar | MEP | Germany | SPD |
| Gozi, Sandro | MEP | France | Liste Renaissance |
| Profant, Ondřej | MP | Czech Republic | Piráti |
| Navrkal, František | MP | Czech Republic | Piráti |
| Martínek, Tomáš | MP | Czech Republic | Piráti |
| Lipavský, Jan | MP | Czech Republic | Piráti |
| Kopřiva, František | MP | Czech Republic | Piráti |
| Biteau, Benoit | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Urtasun, Ernest | MEP | Spain | Catalunya en Comú |
| Spurek, Sylwia | MEP | Poland | Independant |
| Puigdemont, Carles | MEP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Comín, Antoni | MEP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Ponsatí, Clara | MEP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Bricmont, Saskia | MEP | Belgium | Ecologistes Confédérés |
| Von Cramon-Taubadel | MEP | Germany | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
| Furore, Mario | MEP | Italy | Movimento 5 Stelle |
| Schieder, Andreas | MEP | Austria | SPÖ |
| Heide, Hannes | MEP | Austria | SPÖ |
| Vollath, Bettina | MEP | Austria | SPÖ |
| Hautala, Heidi | MEP | Finland | Vihreä liitto |
| Piri, Kati | MEP | Netherlands | Partij van de Arbeid |
| Wagenknecht, Lukas | MP | Czech Republic | Piráti |
| Kaljurand, Marina | MEP | Estonia | Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond |
| Anisko, Tomasz | MP | Poland | Partii Zieloni |
| Urszula, Zielinska | MP | Poland | Partii Zieloni |
| Malgorzata, Tracz | MP | Poland | Partii Zieloni |
| Toussaint, Marie | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Cormand, David | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Rivasi, Michèle | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Delbos-Corfield, Gwendoline | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Sartouri, Mounir | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Jadot, Yannick | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Yenbou, Salima | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Roose, Caroline | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Gruffat, Claude | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Careme, Damien | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Alfonsi, Francois | MEP | France | Europe Écologie |
| Dobrev, Klara | MEP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Molnár, Csaba | MEP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Ara-Kovács, Attila | MEP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Rónai, Sándor | MEP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Gyurcsány, Ferenc | MP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Vadai, Ágnes | MP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Arató, Gergely | MP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Hajdu, Lászlo | MP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Oláh, Lajos | MP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Sebián-Petrovszki, László | MP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Varju, László | MP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Bösz, Anett | MP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Varga, Zóltán | MP | Hungary | Demokratikus Koalíció |
| Sidl, Günther | MEP | Austria | SPÖ |
| Orel, Petr | MP | Czech Republic | Sz |
| Goláň, Tomáš | MP | Czech Republic | BEZPP |
| Tracz, Malgorzata | MP | Poland | Partia Zieloni |
| Anisko, Tomasz | MP | Poland | Koalicja Obywatelska |
| Jachira, Klaudia | MP | Poland | Koalicja Obywatelska |
| Sterczewski, Franciszek | MP | Poland | Koalicja Obywatelska |
| Ernst-Dziedzic, Ewa | MP | Austria | Die Grünen |
| Borràs, Laura | MP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Nogueras, Míriam | MP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Cuevillas, Jaume Alonso | MP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Illamola, Mariona | MP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Matamala, Jami | MP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Cleries, Josep Lluís | MP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Castellví, Assumpció | MP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Rivero, Maite | MP | Spain | Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa |
| Gonzalez, Monica Silvana | MEP | Spain | Partido Socialista Obrero Español |
| Delli, Karima | MEP | France | EELV |
| Mounir, Satouri | MEP | France | EELV |
| Benarroche, Guy | MP | France | EELV |
| Dantec, Ronan | MP | France | ESNT |
| Benbassa, Esther | MP | France | EELV |
| Dossus, Thomas | MP | France | EELV |
| Fernique, Jacques | MP | France | EELV |
| Kairidis, Dimitris | MP | Greece | New Democracy |
| Barna, Dan | MP | Romania | USR* |
| Drula, Catalin | MP | Romania | USR* |
| Mihail, Radu | MP | Romania | USR* |
| De Marco, Monique | MP | Fance | EELV |
| Tērauda, Vita Anda | MP | Latvia | Attistibai/Par! |
| Fusacchia, Alessandro | MP | Italy | Gruppo Misto |
| Giannakopoulou, Nantia | MP | Greece | PASOK |
| Barrena, Pernando | MEP | Spain | EH BILDU |
| Aguilar, Juan | MEP | Spain | Partido Socialista Obrero Español |
| Clement, Sven | MP | Luxembourg | Piraten |
| Gregorová, Markéta | MEP | Czech Republic | Piráti |
| Freund, Daniel | MEP | Germany | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
| Brantner, Franziska | MP | Germany | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
| Brugger, Agnieszka | MP | Germany | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
| Hofreiter, Anton | MP | Germany | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
| Kyuchyuk, Ilhan | MEP | Bulgaria | Movement for Rights and Freedoms |
| Mihaylova, Iskra | MEP | Bulgaria | Movement for Rights and Freedoms |
| Alieva-Veli, Atidzhe | MEP | Bulgaria | Movement for Rights and Freedoms |
| Muroni, Rossella | MP | Italy | Liberi e Uguali |
| Palazzotto, Erasmo | MP | Italy | Liberi e Uguali |
| Magi, Riccardo | MP | Italy | Plus Europa |
| Lagodinsky, Sergey | MEP | Germany | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
| Geese, Alexandra | MEP | Germany | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
| Giegold, Sven | MEP | Germany | Bündnis 90/Die Grünen |
| Strugariu, Ramona | MEP | Romania | USR Plus |
| Klaver, Jesse | MP | Netherlands | GroenLinks |
* on behalf of the USR group in the Romanian Parliament