The members of the committee on civil liberties of the European Parliament (LIBE) have approved, by 33 votes to 9 with no abstentions, the call to launch the so-called article 7 procedure of the Treaty of the EU on the rule of law against Poland, as requested by the plenary of 15 November of last year (see EUROPE 11905).
They supported Parliament's calls to consider Poland a country at risk of violating the values of the EU. The EU governments should rapidly determine whether Poland could seriously breach EU values and propose solutions if necessary, the members of the committee stated, also supporting the Commission's decision of 20 December to launch the first phase of the article 7 procedure against Warsaw (see EUROPE 11930).
The MEPs call on the Council of Ministers of the EU to intervene rapidly, in accordance with the provisions set out in article 7(1), and ask that Parliament be kept fully informed of progress made and actions taken at each stage of the procedure, the resolution stresses. This vote follows the Commission's announcement on Wednesday of last week of its intention to consider establishing a link between the granting of European funds and compliance with fundamental principles, such as the rule of law.
Proposals on this reflection, which was led by Commissioner Vera Jourova, will be made in May in the framework of the future multiannual budgetary framework. Poland, for its part, has until the end of March to respond to the recommendations made to it by the Commission on 20 December. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)