The Serbian government continues to assert that EU accession is its strategic objective, but MEPs warn that this is often not reflected in its actions. Progress towards EU accession involves not only adopting reforms, but also their thorough and comprehensive implementation, MEPs warn in a report on Serbia adopted on Wednesday with 468 votes in […]
Enlargement: Parliament commends Ukraine’s progress despite the war
On 8 July, MEPs called for a constructive debate on how to take Ukraine’s European integration forward, taking into account the European Union’s strategic interests. In its annual assessment of Ukraine’s progress on reforms related to the EU accession process, the European Parliament welcomed the opening, in June 2026, of the first chapter in the […]
Albania meets the intermediate benchmarks of the core indicators group
The eighth meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania confirmed that Albania has, on the whole, met the interim criteria of the so-called Group 1: Foundations. This group covers, in particular, the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration reform, the rule of law and economic criteria. “The milestone reached today by Albania confirms the fulfilment […]
2025 Rule of Law Report: Europe’s democracy, security and economy
Last July 8, the Commission published its sixth annual Rule of Law Report, examining rule of law developments in all Member States. This is the first report under the Commission’s new mandate. It consolidates the successful engagement with Member States based on a preventive and dialogue-based approach to strengthen the rule of law, and it is an […]
Commission launches 2025 Rule of Law consultation
The European Commission has launched a targeted consultation to seek public input on rule of law developments, both at national and EU level, as part of the preparation of the Rule of Law Report 2025. The consultation is open to judicial associations, civil society, NGOs, international organisations, EU agencies and other interested parties. The information […]
The Commission has published its fifth annual Rule of Law Report
The Commission has published its fifth annual Rule of Law Report, examining systematically and objectively rule of law developments in all Member States on an equal basis. In comparison to the first issue of the Rule of Law Report adopted in 2020, Member States and the EU as a whole are much better prepared to detect, […]
European Commission proposes structured dialogue with Spain on the Spanish General Council of the Judiciary
In its 2022 and 2023 Rule of Law Report for Spain, the Commission had made the following recommendation: “Proceed with the renewal of the Council for the Judiciary as a matter of priority and initiate, immediately after the renewal, a process in view of adapting the appointment of its judges-members, taking into account European standards […]
Council debates EU long-term budget
EU’s long-term budget The Council held a policy debate on the mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027, proposed by the Commission on 20 June 2023. The Commission presented the package to the Council. Ministers provided their initial comments on its main elements: the creation of a Ukraine facility for 2024-2027 the proposed additional […]
Rule of Law Report 2023 – Abstract and Recommendations for Spain
The Spanish justice system is still undergoing some important developments. The situation of the Council for the Judiciary raises serious concerns as, firstly, the Council has not been renewed in spite of the urgency and, secondly, no steps have been taken to adapt the appointment procedure for its judges-members. The lack of renewal is having […]