On 18 March, the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament reconfirmed its commitment to do ‘whatever it takes’ to ensure that the European Parliament and European Commission defend the Rule of Law conditionality regulation and ensure its application.

To this end, Renew Europe has initiated a resolution on the application of the Rule of Law conditionality mechanism, tabled ahead of the European Parliament plenary session on 24-25 March.

The resolution sets a deadline for the European Commission to fulfil its obligations, or face legal action under Article 265 TFEU.

Dacian Cioloş, President of Renew Europe said:

"The resolution on the rule of law conditionality mechanism that will be put to a vote in the European Parliament next week includes all the priorities of the Renew Europe Group. The EU must not relax the pressure on Member States that do not respect the values of the European Union. The mechanism has entered into force and nothing must prevent its full and complete application. Otherwise, we will act with the legal means at our disposal."

Katalin Cseh MEP (Momentum, Hungary), Vice-President of Renew Europe concluded:

"Renew Europe Group has been at the forefront of the fight for a Rule of Law mechanism, to make sure European funds reach those who need them the most. The mechanism is now EU law as of 1 January 2021. Failure to use it is a breach of law. Viktor Orbán is using a court challenge to buy time until the 2022 election, but the European Parliament will not let him, and we ask for an expedited procedure. This resolution reiterates that the era of procrastination is over. For the European Parliament, only prompt action is acceptable."

Photo credit: Jan Van de Vel, European Parliament 2021.

Photo credit: Ricardo Pareggiani, European Parliament 2021.