EESC notes a decline in fundamental freedoms in several EU Member States

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) published, on Monday 22 June, its final report on the situation of the rule of law in seven EU countries visited in 2018 and 2019 (https://bit.ly/3fJum56 ). The Committee had presented a preliminary report in the autumn (see EUROPE 12360/6), covering Romania, Poland, Hungary, France, Austria, Bulgaria and Italy.

The EESC's Group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law noted in particular “a growing weakening and stigmatisation of the role of civil society”. Freedom of association, including the right of civil society organisations to freely carry out their activities, and access to funding “particularly strained”.

Some of the main challenges to media freedom, the right to information and freedom of expression are documented in this report. In Hungary, in particular, the fact that the bulk of advertising revenue goes to publications close to the government is a concrete limitation, the EESC notes.

The report also reviews the freedom to demonstrate and points to France's “excessive use of force”, in this case during the so-called “Yellow Vests” crisis.

The report summarises meetings with civil society organisations, legal and media professionals. The national authorities were also consulted. It does not, however, take into account the health crisis. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)