{"id":120342,"date":"2022-10-07T03:00:06","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T01:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/?p=120342"},"modified":"2022-10-06T10:25:54","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T08:25:54","slug":"120342","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/en\/120342\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaches of EU values: how the EU can act"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The EU has tools to protect its values and budget when there is a risk of a breach from a member state. Find out how these mechanisms work.<\/p>\n

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The European Union is based on\u00a0common values<\/a> that bind countries and people together. These values are set out at the very start of the Treaty on European Union, in Article 2. They include respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0breach of EU values<\/strong>\u00a0by a member state justifies a reaction at EU level.<\/p>\n

What is the rule of law?<\/h3>\n

The rule of law is one of the EU values and a key principle in democratic states as it helps ensure fairness and transparency, among others.<\/p>\n

The principle of the rule of law means that governments should be bound by law<\/strong>, that they should\u00a0not take arbitrary decisions<\/strong>\u00a0and that citizens should be able to\u00a0challenge their actions<\/strong>\u00a0in independent courts.<\/p>\n

It also enshrines the fight against corruption<\/strong>, which unfairly favours some to the detriment of others, and the safeguarding of\u00a0media freedom<\/strong>, thus ensuring the public is\u00a0properly informed<\/strong>\u00a0about the work of government.<\/p>\n

In recent years the European Parliament has been sounding the alarm about the worsening situation concerning the rule of law in some EU countries, such as Hungary. MEPs have been taking action and repeatedly calling on the European Commission and member states to protect EU values and the budget.<\/p>\n

The Article 7 procedure<\/h3>\n

The procedure under<\/strong>\u00a0Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union<\/strong>\u00a0was introduced by the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997. It includes two mechanisms\u00a0for protecting EU values<\/strong>:<\/p>\n