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On 19 February 2020, the EP’s Budgetary Control Committee (CONT) voted on the discharge report prepared by MEP Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE). By a 20 to 4 vote, the committee members voted in favour of granting discharge of the Commission’s accounts for 2018 (corresponding to …

In January 2020, OLAF concluded investigations against a Dutch company which revealed a fraud scheme against EU money for development and humanitarian aid as well as corruption. A Dutch company had won a large EU-funded contract managed by the Mauritanian authorities for the removal of …

On 30 March 2020, the European Commission issued practical guidance on implementation of the temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU. The ban pursuant to the Schengen Borders Code was outlined in a Commission Communication of 16 March 2020. The guidance paper issued now …

On 25 March 2020, the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP) presented their plans for the future EU policy on strengthening human rights and democracy in the EU’s external actions. The package presented to the …

On the occasion of the 48th European Presidents’ Conference on 21 February 2020 in Vienna, representatives from over 50 bar associations adopted a resolution on the rule of law and the independence of justice. European Institutions and national authorities are urged to do the following: …

European institutions have rule-of-law concerns with regard to Hungary. As in the case of Poland, Hungary faces several infringement actions before the CJEU. The recent developments in brief:

New actions and regulations initiated by the Polish ruling party to push through reforms in the justice system triggered further controversies between the country and European institutions/civil society organisations. An overview of the main recent events:

On 2 April 2020, the Grand Chamber of the CJEU decided that the outcome of the landmark Petruhhin judgment must be applied by analogy to a national of an EFTA State if his/her extradition is sought by a third country.

On 17 Februrary 2020, the Higher Regional Court of Karlsruhe, Germany set aside surrender of a Polish national to Poland because he might not get a fair trial there. The court implements the CJEU's Celmer judgment, arguing that recent reforms on the disciplinary regime of Polish judges probably lead to a real risk to violations of the requested person's fundamental rights.

In the surrender case of rap artist Valtònyc , the CJEU ruled that the executing authority must take into account the law of the issuing State in the version applicable to the facts giving rise to the case in which the EAW was issued. The CJEU gives guidance on the interpretation of the double criminality requirement set out in Art. 2(2) and Art. 2(4) FD EAW.