The Renew Europe group in the European Parliament announced on Wednesday 2 June its intention to take legal action against the European Commission for failure to implement the regulation linking EU funds to the Rule of law.
Parliament had already decided at the end of March that the regulation was applicable from 1 January 2021 (see EUROPE 12681/17).
Annoyed by the delays in implementing the regulation in question, Renew Europe says it will urgently table a draft resolution, to be voted on by MEPs next week in plenary, calling for legal action via the triggering of Article 265 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.
“We call on all MEPs to support our demand; the rule of law in Europe is non-negotiable”, said a statement from the political group.
The Rule of law conditionality mechanism, applicable since 1 January 2021, “must promptly be applied by the Commission. The situation in a number of Member States needs to be scrutinised, and action taken, without delay”, argues Renew Europe.
Dacian Cioloş, president of Renew Europe, recalled that Parliament gave the Commission a deadline of 1 June to implement the regulation. “Now that the deadline is not met, our group intends to push for the triggering of Article 265 of the Treaty in order to take legal action against the Commission for its failure to act. The credibility of the European Union is at stake”.
For Katalin Cseh, Vice President of Renew Europe, the European Commission “is playing into the hands of autocrats like Viktor Orbán, who wants to use the EU Recovery Plan for his own financial gain”. She recalled that the Commission had until 1 June to adopt the guidelines on this regulation, which are also overdue. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)