EU: Delaying funding conditions risks further rights erosions in Poland and Hungary
Responding to the European Council decision to continue with its plan to ensure that countries accessing the EU Budget comply with fundamental rights, Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office said:
“Given the dire situation of the rule of law in Hungary and Poland, with judges and independent media under attack, it is only right the European Council has agreed to ensure that countries accessing the EU Budget comply with fundamental rights through a ‘conditionality mechanism’.”
“It is a blow, however that the delay in its implementation will allow people’s rights and freedoms in Poland and Hungary to continue being eroded by their respective authorities. This will allow for irreparable damage to the human rights of people in Poland and Hungary, and to the integrity of the rule of law across the EU.”
“The EU and its member states must continue to leverage all legal, financial, and political tools, including Article 7 of the EU Treaty, already at their disposal to protect human rights and uphold rule of law.”
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