Joint recommendations for upholding and expanding the rule of law in the European Union

22/04/2025
Report
Melissa Rosca / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP

As the European Commission prepares to release its 2025 annual Report on the state of the rule of law in the European Union (EU), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and other 32 civil society, human rights, and media freedom organisations urge the Commission to strengthen the effectiveness of the rule of law review cycle, in line with its political guidelines (2024-2029), and to use it as a basis for decisive and timely action in response to systematic violations of the rule of law and human rights in EU Member States.

22 April 2025. In spite of some positive developments compared to previous exercises, concerns remain especially regarding the accuracy of the information contained in the national chapters and the effectiveness of the recommendations, as well as the meaningful participation of civil society in the process.

The signatory organisations put forward nine key recommendations to improve the reporting process, strengthen its recommendations, and ensure the report serves as an accountability tool to uphold rule of law standards across the EU and address key challenges to human rights and civic space.

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  • Co-signatories

    1. ACAT Belgium
    2. Amnesty International
    3. Association of European Journalists in Belgium
    4. ARTICLE19
    5. Civil Liberties Union for Europe
    6. Committee to Protect Journalists
    7. Demo Finland - Political Parties of Finland for Democracy
    8. Democracy Reporting International
    9. European Civic Forum
    10. European Federation of Journalists
    11. European Exchange / Europäischer Austausch
    12. European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
    13. European Partnership for Democracy
    14. FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights)
    15. Free Press Unlimited
    16. Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
    17. Human Rights League (Belgium)
    18. Hungarian Helsinki Committee
    19. IFEX
    20. ILGA-Europe
    21. International Press Institute (IPI)
    22. Institute for Regional Media and Information (IRMI)
    23. Irish Council for Civil Liberties
    24. Kofi Annan Foundation
    25. League for the Defence of Human Rights Romania
    26. Ligue française des droits de l’Homme (LDH)
    27. Media Diversity Institute (MDI)
    28. Netherlands Helsinki Committee
    29. Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT)
    30. Protection International
    31. Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
    32. RNW Media
    33. Transparency International EU

  • Attached documents

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