EU Parliament Calls for Action on Rule‑of‑Law Report

What the resolution is about

• The European Parliament (EP) reacts to the Commission’s 2025 “Rule‑of‑Law” report.
• It asks the Commission to act on the report, strengthen EU tools for protecting the rule of law, and ensure EU money is paid only to states that respect democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights.

Why the EP is concerned

• Rule of law & democracy – Independent courts, checks on the executive and political interference are still weak in several member states, especially Hungary and Poland.
• Fundamental rights – Freedom of expression, privacy, equality and minority protection are threatened; discrimination and hate speech are rising.
• Corruption – Public officials sometimes use power for personal gain; anti‑corruption bodies are weak or politicised.
• Media freedom – Journalists face lawsuits, intimidation and spyware; public‑service media are under political pressure.
• Civil society – NGOs, human‑rights defenders and civil‑society groups are increasingly restricted, fined or blocked from funding.
• EU budget – Some EU funds have been used in ways that violate fundamental rights or are linked to corruption.
• Enlargement – New EU members must meet the same high standards of democracy and rule of law.
• External action – The EU must support rule‑of‑law principles abroad and protect the integrity of international courts such as the ICC.

What the EP wants the Commission to do

• Rule‑of‑law monitoring – Use clear, measurable benchmarks; publish a “rule‑of‑law scoreboard”; set deadlines and targets.
• Budgetary conditionality – Apply the Rule‑of‑Law Conditionality Regulation consistently and early; link EU funds to rule‑of‑law commitments; keep a public list of compliant and non‑compliant countries.
• Judicial independence – Ensure courts are appointed and promoted by independent bodies; protect judges and prosecutors from political pressure and SLAPP lawsuits.
• Anti‑corruption – Strengthen the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the European Anti‑Fraud Office; require independent anti‑corruption agencies and public corruption data.
• Media & privacy – Enforce the Digital Services Act and the European Media Freedom Act; stop spyware use against journalists and civil‑society actors.
• Civil society & minorities – Protect NGOs, human‑rights defenders and minority groups from harassment and funding restrictions; ensure EU programmes are accessible to all, including minorities.
• Enlargement & external action – Keep high standards for candidate and potential‑candidate countries; tie EU assistance to reforms in democracy, rule of law and anti‑corruption.
• Reporting improvements – Publish the rule‑of‑law report every June; use data from the European Court of Auditors, the Fundamental Rights Agency and other bodies; involve the Parliament’s Democracy, Rule‑of‑Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group more closely.

Key recommendations for specific countries

• Hungary – Use the Conditionality Regulation against Hungary for its ongoing breaches (judiciary, media, anti‑corruption).
• Poland – Continue monitoring Poland’s reforms and apply budgetary measures if the country fails to meet the rule‑of‑law standards.
• Other member states – All states must address any back‑sliding, especially in judicial independence, media freedom and anti‑corruption.

How the EP wants EU institutions to act

• Commission – Follow the report’s recommendations; use all available tools (budgetary, legal, political) to enforce rule of law.
• Council – Make Article 7 (the “rule‑of‑law” procedure) more transparent and decisive; publish detailed minutes of Article 7 hearings.
• European Court of Justice (CJEU) – Ensure its judgments on rule‑of‑law matters are implemented promptly.
• European Parliament – Keep a clear, annual cycle of monitoring, reporting and follow‑up; use the DRFMG to gather evidence and push for action.

Bottom line

• The EU must keep its core values—democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights—under strict scrutiny.
• The Commission must use budgetary powers, legal tools and political influence to make sure EU money goes only to states that respect these values.
• The EU must protect journalists, civil‑society groups, minorities and the judiciary from political interference and corruption.
• The EU must maintain the same high standards for new members and for its external partners.
• In short, the EP wants the EU to act decisively, transparently and consistently to protect the rule of law and the rights of all people in the Union.

Broader context

The EU is built on shared values — democracy, human rights, and the rule of law — written into its founding treaties. When a member state undermines these (for example, by letting politicians control courts or silence the press), it weakens trust across the whole Union, because EU citizens, businesses, and judges all rely on each other's legal systems.

The Commission has published a Rule of Law Report every year since 2020, examining all 27 member states. The European Parliament's job here is to respond to that report — pushing the Commission to act on what it found, not just write it down.

The key enforcement tool mentioned is the Rule-of-Law Conditionality Regulation, which lets the EU freeze funding to member states that break these principles. It was first used against Hungary in 2022, when billions in EU funds were suspended.

Article 7 of the EU Treaty is the most serious political tool — it can strip a country of its voting rights in the EU. It has been triggered against both Hungary and Poland, but has never reached its final stage because it requires unanimous agreement among all other member states, which is very hard to achieve.

Impact on people living in the EU

For most EU citizens, this resolution matters in ways that are easy to miss:

The resolution also pushes for spyware to be banned against journalists and activists — a response to real cases (like the Pegasus scandal) where government-grade surveillance tools were used against EU citizens within the EU itself.

For people in Hungary and Poland specifically, the pressure on their governments could lead to judicial and media reforms — or to further political confrontation with Brussels, which has been ongoing for several years.

Impact on people living outside the EU

For people in candidate countries (such as Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and the Western Balkans), this resolution signals that EU membership remains conditional on real democratic reform — not just promises. The EP wants the same standards applied to future members as to existing ones, which means these countries must reform their courts, fight corruption, and protect press freedom to advance toward membership.