First reaction by MEPs to the Commission’s 2025 rule of law report

The Civil Liberties committee’s working group on European values took stock of key points in the Commission’s 2025 rule of law report to refine its work programme.

Following the publication of the European Commission’s latest annual assessment of rule of law developments in the EU on 8 July, the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG) met with Commissioner McGrath to discuss MEPs’ first impressions from the report’s findings.

Based on these findings, and taking into account the alarming state of EU values that Parliament recently confirmed, the DRFMG has decided to:

revise its work programme for the next twelve months, focusing on countries where issues are most serious, recurrent, and systemic;

call for plenary debates and Parliament resolutions more systematically, whenever major issues are identified; and

continue to encourage the Commission and the Council to make full use, where necessary, of all tools at their disposal.

The DRFMG welcomed the inclusion of a single market dimension in the four pillars of the Commission’s analysis: justice, anti-corruption, media freedom and pluralism, and checks and balances. Challenges to the rule of law directly affect businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating across borders. Regulatory stability, courts and judges specialised in commercial matters, and measures to prevent corruption in public procurement, are key in this regard. The DRFMG also acknowledges the progress made in certain member states and candidate countries, but also highlights the growing threats to fundamental rights, the lack of necessary reforms, and the need for stronger enforcement measures by the European Commission.

MEPs will examine more closely the Commission’s findings and the methodological approach of the report itself, as they have done for every version of it so far. They will also continue to monitor the state of European values in line with Parliament’s scrutiny and democratic oversight powers, as the directly elected representatives of all Europeans.

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DRFMG Chair Sophie Wilmès (Renew, BE) commented: “Now that we have an updated map to get to our final destination - the full protection of people’s rights in the EU - it is up to us to stay on course. Our working group will remain constantly vigilant by directly engaging with the authorities of those member states where the situation is most concerning, as well as by prioritising delegation visits to the countries where problems are most prevalent. As always, we will continue to work to turn the Commission’s reports into a comprehensive, effective, and fully coordinated rule of law monitoring mechanism.”

Background

Parliament asked in 2016 for a permanent mechanism to protect EU values, as well as the EU budget. Welcoming both the Commission’s annual assessments and the establishment of the conditionality mechanism, MEPs have continued to push for a comprehensive, fully integrated set of mechanisms and measures.