Most EU members support linking funds to rule of law - reports

A significant number of EU member states are in favor of the proposal to link access to funds with the rule of law. “This issue was discussed during the sherpa discussions (representatives of countries preparing the EU), a significant group of member states said that the future Commission proposal should have a conditionality element in the context of the rule of law, the functioning of the justice system, and also in the context of the approach to refugee reception,” a high-ranking EU official told the Polish Press Agency PAP. This would mean, that the European Commission will propose such solution in May during the discussions regarding the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework. There were a few opponents of such idea. Representatives of these countries indicated that it is difficult to imagine an objective system of measuring the rule of law. “It is important that by preserving the rule of law in the member countries, they adhere to the rule of law at the European level,” noted one of the officials, pointing out the need to construct objective criteria having a strong legal base on conditionality.