02/02/2021 (Agence Europe) – The European Commission launched on Tuesday 2 February a consultation to prepare the second annual report on the Rule of law. The aim of the consultation is to gather factual information on developments on the ground and on the various infringements of the Rule of law. The first annual report, presented on 30 September (see EUROPE 12571/5), took stock of the independence of the judiciary, the anti-corruption framework in place, and the overall state of press freedom in the Member States. For this purpose, 200 different actors were consulted, including national and European civil society organisations and professional associations. The consultation is open until 8 March 2021. Link: http://bit.ly/2NT93oZ (SP)