EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn said on Tuesday 8 June in Strasbourg that the European Commission will unveil “next week” long-awaited guidelines on the regulation on the protection of the EU budget in the event of a generalised breakdown of the rule of law in a Member State (see EUROPE 12732/28).
This mechanism, which came into force on 1 January 2021, allows for the suspension of EU funds in the event of a breach of the rule of law in a Member State.
On Wednesday 9 June, the European Parliament will adopt a joint resolution by the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, Greens/EFA, and The Left political groups on the subject (https://bit.ly/2RF1y7C ).
The draft resolution calls on the Commission to fulfil its obligations under the Regulation, “within 2 weeks from the date of adoption of this resolution at the latest”. And it states that “Parliament shall, in the meantime, immediately start the necessary preparations for potential court proceedings under Article 265 of the TFEU”.
Mr Hahn refused to confirm whether the Commission had drawn up a list of nine countries that could receive a first letter under rule of law conditionality in the autumn. He indicated that this was in fact “an internal document in which, on the basis of the previous year’s rule of law report, we studied possible cases that could be covered by the new mechanism”.
Parliament and the EU Council will be consulted on the guidelines “so that the process can be completed by the end of the summer” and procedures can be initiated in the autumn, the Commissioner added. Mr Hahn also indicated that these guidelines could be adapted depending on the verdict of the Court of Justice of the European Union in this case.
Poland and Hungary have filed an appeal to annul the mechanism (see EUROPE 12689/12). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)