The European Parliament will monitor the European Commission’s follow-up work on the situation of the rule of law in Poland.
In response to the Commission’s decision to trigger Article 7 of the EU Treaty to determine whether Poland is at risk of a serious breach of EU values, the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee elected Claude Moraes (S&D, UK) to monitor and report back on the work of the Commission and the Council.
“This is not about criticism of Poland but about us demanding that the rights accorded to Polish citizens by their membership of the European Union are protected,” said Moraes. “It is crucial to ensure that the Parliament continues to monitor the Commission’s assessment of whether there has been a clear breach of EU fundamental principles and values.
“We need a clear and unambiguous position, from the Parliament, the Commission and Council: the rule of law must be upheld in all EU countries”, he added.
Article 7 of the EU Treaty, which has so far never been used, provides a mechanism for preventing breaches of EU values and deciding sanctions against the member state concerned, should they occur. The sanctions can include the suspension of voting rights.
