Application of EU law: MEPs call for enhanced enforcement

Persistent breaches, non-implementation and non-compliance with CJEU rulings should be addressed with infringement proceedings

Consistent application of rule of law conditionality and focus on fundamental values are essential

Improved digital tools needed to help simplify procedures and reduce the administrative burden

According to Legal Affairs Committee MEPs, improved enforcement and proper implementation of EU law by member states is necessary to uphold the rule of law.

With 18 votes in favour, 6 against and 1 abstention, the Legal Affairs Committee adopted its annual report on monitoring the application of EU law between 2023 and 2025.

Consistency on infringement procedures

In the text, MEPs ask the Commission not to shy away from initiating infringement proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) against EU countries, especially in cases of clear and persistent breaches of EU law. They specifically want such procedures to be initiated in cases of non-implementation of a CJEU ruling or repeated non-compliance with such rulings. The areas with the most infringement proceedings active were environment, followed by energy and transport in 2023, justice and consumers in 2024, and justice, consumers and energy in 2025.

Focus on improved enforcement

The MEPs regret that the Commission did not publish an annual report on monitoring the application of EU law for 2024. While they welcome the Commissioners’ 2025 annual progress reports, as well as the horizontal report, on simplification, implementation and enforcement, they stress the need to highlight not only achievements but also to focus on challenges and enforcement gaps. The MEPs stress that petitions received by Parliament represent a vital instrument for identifying shortcomings in the implementation of EU law. They also support the rule of law conditionality mechanism and call on the Commission to apply it consistently, with increased scrutiny of how EU countries comply with fundamental values such as the rule of law, democracy, and respect for human rights.

Strengthened implementation

The MEPs want the Commission and EU countries to strengthen early-warning mechanisms that help detect transposition or implementation problems before formal infringement procedures become necessary. They also urge the Commission to strengthen and modernise its monitoring of the application of regulations and ask for better accessibility to complaint procedures, including through modernised digital tools and multilingual information portals when it comes to citizens’ and businesses’ rights under EU law.

Simplification

The MEPs note that reducing the administrative burden requires well-designed digital tools and welcome the Commission’s plans to stress-test and reality-check EU legislation to ensure that it delivers effectively on its policy objectives.

Quote

Following the vote, rapporteur Dainius Žalimas (Renew, Lithuania) said: "EU law only delivers fully for citizens and businesses if it is applied uniformly and on time across all member states. Annual, country-by-country monitoring and clear accountability are essential to protect fundamental rights and enable the single market to reach its full potential."

Next steps

The Parliament as a whole will vote on the report during its plenary session on 26 March 2026.

Background

As part of its supervisory role, the European Parliament monitors the application of EU law annually on the basis of a report issued by the European Commission. Parliament’s report is an integral part of the exercise of assessing legislative implementation. The JURI Network on Monitoring the application of Union law, consisting of 13 parliamentary committees, contributes to the annual report.