On Wednesday 3 September, the European Commission presented a second set of proposals for the EU’s next long-term budget (2028-2034).
The proposal for a regulation establishing the new Justice programme sets its budget at almost €798 million, more than double the €305 million allocated for the period 2021-2027.
The programme proposes to strengthen a European area of justice based on the rule of law, mutual recognition and trust between national systems. At the press conference, the European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law, Michael McGrath, argued that the financial improvements would contribute to a more inclusive, more resilient and, above all, more digitalised Union area of justice.
The proposal aims to facilitate judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters by encouraging cross-border recognition of judicial decisions and supporting the fight against corruption. It also plans to promote the training of magistrates and legal professionals in order to develop a European judicial culture.
It therefore intends to guarantee effective and inclusive access to justice for citizens and businesses alike, with greater consideration for the most vulnerable or discriminated groups, such as children and people with disabilities.
Digital technology also plays an important role in the future programme. €262.4 million is earmarked for investment in digital and IT technologies over the period 2028-2034.
The aim is to support greater and more rapid interconnection of national legal systems, facilitate the use of electronic signatures, secure data exchange and generalise the use of videoconferencing.
Commissioner McGrath stated that the aim was to enable national courts to communicate with each other more quickly, but also to reduce the time taken to settle cross-border disputes, in order to improve the confidence of citizens and businesses in the effectiveness of European justice.
What’s more, these advances would boost the EU’s competitiveness.
Defending fundamental rights and democratic values. By supporting training, funding European networks and promoting new cooperation practices, the EU should also contribute to and strengthen independent and effective judicial systems.
Safeguards have been built in to ensure that it is used in accordance with the principles of the rule of law, and implementation will be monitored, in particular through the annual report on the rule of law. On the subject of a possible risk of abuses, Commissioner McGrath pointed out that control mechanisms accompany the allocation of funding and that European taxpayers’ money must be properly spent.
The proposal: https://aeur.eu/f/i9b (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)