1 Amendments of Moritz KÖRNER related to 2024/2019(DEC)
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Acknowledges the Commission’s continuous monitoring of rule of law benchmarks through the rule of law toolbox, including the annual rule of law report, while remaining concerned that, by adopting an overly diplomatic approach and, failing to distinguish between individual and systemic issues and not basing its analysis on specific indicators, the annual rule of law report risks trivialising some of the most serious and/or persistent breaches of the rule of law; supports the link established between the release of funds under the European recovery plan and the achievement of super milestones, and calls on the Commission to apply more generally this link between financial instruments and respect for the rule of law; reiterates its regret and serious concern with respect to the lawfulness of the Commission’s decision concluding that, in Hungary, the horizontal enabling condition of the Charter had been fulfilled in relation to judicial independence which decision enabled the Hungarian authorities to start claiming reimbursements of up to approximately EUR 10,2 billion from Union funds; calls on the Commission to take steps towards the full implementationdevelop a more systematic, predictable and reasoned approach to the objective reasons for freezing or unfreezing funds; calls on the Commission to take steps towards the full implementation – taking into account developments that have taken place in the meantime – of Parliament’s recommendations on the establishment of an EU mechanism for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, contained in its resolution of 25 October 20161, and to ensure that assessments of rule of law benchmarks are more precise and qualitative than is presently the case, relying not only on legislative changes, but also on precise indicators and on real and independent evidence of their implementation in practice; _________________ 1 European Parliament resolution of 25 October 2016 with recommendations to the Commission on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (2015/2254(INL)) (OJ C 215, 19.6.2018, p. 162).