Nine Member States took the floor on Tuesday 21 May at the General Affairs Council (GAC) on the new tools that the European Commission could have to enforce the rule of law (see EUROPE 12228/5).
The topic was planned for "other business’, but the ministers, with the first vice-president, Frans Timmermans, spent half an hour on it, reported two sources. This discussion made it possible to show support for the Commission's work and initiative, even if it was not an opportunity to put forward new concrete proposals.
The delegations that took the floor are those of countries that regularly address ministerial meetings on the rule of law, said these two sources, such as Belgium, Germany, France or the Netherlands, for which Belgium took the floor. Belgium and Germany took the opportunity to discuss their peer review mechanism again, while Poland and Hungary also intervened, in particular to stress that the actions that will emerge from the Commission's reflection must fall within the framework of what the Treaties allow. The Commission must come up with more concrete ideas in June or, at the latest, before the summer.
The next EU’s General Affairs Council, scheduled for June, should again have on its agenda the proceedings launched against Poland and Hungary under Article 7. On 9 April, several Member States requested a new formal hearing, in particular of Hungary, which has not yet been submitted (see EUROPE 12232/3). Romania will have to set the agenda by then.
With regard to Romania specifically, the conflict between Bucharest and the Commission was not mentioned in this 'other business' item according to these two sources. Asked about this during the final press conference, Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger recalled that defending the rule of law was "an obligation" for all Treaty signatories and that the Commission could take a number of measures, if necessary. Frans Timmermans "is in close contact with Romania to make it clear that the latest measures do not seem to correspond to our vision of the rule of law". (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)