Activities of Lukas MANDL related to 2021/2180(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Commission’s 2021 Rule of Law Report
Amendments (18)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
— having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation),
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
— having regard to Directive (EU) 2018/1808 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 amending Directive 2010/13/EU on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services Directive) in view of changing market realities;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
— having regard to the report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights of 10 September 2020 on Antisemitism: Overview of antisemitic incidents recorded in the European Union;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas it is necessary to strengthen and streamline existing mechanisms and develop an effective mechanism to ensure that the principles and values enshrined in the Treaties are upheld throughout the Union;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to put a specific focus on wiretapping software of mobile devices, that is misused by national governments in order to intercept the communication of journalists, lawyers, opposition politicians.
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Stresses that the report should include a thorough assessment of independence of Member States’ data protection authorities and of audiovisual media services regulators, which under EU law must be independent of their respective governments; emphasises that the degree of legal and functional independence of those bodies has a profound impact on the situation of the rule of law in Member States and in the EU;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes with satisfaction that the report contains country-specific chapters; commends the Commission’s efforts to engage with national governments and, national parliaments, and the European Parliament, as well as civil society and other national actors; urges the Commission to actively participate in public debates at local, regional and national level and to invest more into awareness-raising about the Union values and applicable tools, including the annual report, especially in those countries where there are serious concerns; encourages the Commission to devote greater efforts to deepening the analysis, and invites the Commission to ensure proper resources for that; believes that more time should be devoted to the Commission’s country visits, including on site;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Council and the Commission to provide adequate funding for an independent and European-wide, national, regional and local quality journalism that investigates in particular where violations and shortcomings have been identified;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to include country chapters of all candidate and potential candidate countries to EU enlargement with an in-depth analysis on their justice systems, anti-corruption frameworks, on media freedom and pluralism, as well as on institutional checks and balances;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the fact that the report fails to clearly recognise the deliberate process of the rule of law backsliding in Poland and Hungary; calls on the Commission to make clear that when the Article 2 TEU values are being deliberately, gravely, permanently and systematically violated over a period of time, Member States could fail to fulfil all theor individual criteria that define a democracy and become authoritarian regimes;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets the fact that several Member States, in particular Hungary and Poland, had to be mentioned several times by the Commission as points of concern in the synthesis report; recalls that since June 2021 Parliament has also addressed the rule of law situation in Hungary, Poland and Slovenia in its plenary resolutions; further recalls that Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs’ Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group has also addressed similar issues in Bulgaria, Greece, Malta, Slovakia and Sloveniaand the Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control have also addressed similar issues in several further EU Member States;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that the annual report should identify cross-cutting trends at EU level; asks the Commission to identify instances where certain measures or practices that undermine the rule of law in one Member State become blueprints for others, or when the gravity and scope of such deficiencies have the potential to affect the Union as a whole; calls on the Commission to clearly illustrate systematic disinformation and foreign interference campaigns with the aim of undermining public trust in state institutions and independent media, while pushing Member States towards authoritarian-style governance structures;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the Commission to explore the full potential of developing the FRA in accordance with principles relating to the status and functioning of national institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights (the Paris Principles) in order for it to become a fully independent body providing impartial and publicly available positions on, within the scope of its mandate, with a view to provide methodological advice and conduct targeted comparative research to fill gaps and add detail in key areas of the rule of law report in addition to the country-specific situaibutions in the field of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rightsAgency already makes in terms of, for instance, using EFRIS and data on civic space; underlines that such development should go hand in hand with an increase in available resources;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Recalls the importance of independent national human rights institutions and national ombudsman bodies, in full compliance with the Paris Principles, as well as equality bodies, in preserving citizens' rights and being able to defend the rule of law at national, regional and local level;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Reiterates that the annual report should serve as a basisn important source and reference document for deciding whether to activate one or several relevant tools such as Article 7 TEU, the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation, the Rule of Law Framework or infringement procedures, including expedited procedures, applications for interim measures before the CJEU and actions regarding non- implementation of CJEU judgments; calls on the institutions to activate such tools without delay;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Recalls that infringement procedures are the core instrument to protect and defend EU law and the common values enshrined in Article 2 TEU; notes with concern that the number of infringement procedures launched by the Commission has plummeted since 2004; is surprised by the fact thcalls on the Commission to systematically initiate infringement procedures are not triggered systematically as soo, whenever appropriate, in cas the relevant infringement ises of rule of law deficiencies that are documented in the annualrule of law report; deplores the Commission’s reluctance to exhaust the possibilities of infringement procedures against Member States as the instrument most tailored to resolve the issues efficiently and without delay; notes that this reluctance resulted in calls on Member States to initiate inter-State cases in accordance with Article 259 TFEU; is concerned that without systematic and timely application the preventive capacity of infringement procedures declines;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Strongly regrets the inabilitycalls ofn the Council to make meaningful progress in ongoing Article 7(1) TEU procedures; urges the Council to ensure that hearings take place on a regular basis and also address new developments; reiterates its call on the Council to address concrete recommendations to the Member States in question, and to provide deadlines for the implementation of those recommendations; insists that Parliament’s role and competences be respected;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls on the Commission to launch a dedicated programme that supports innovative initiatives with the aim of promoting formal and informal education with regard to the rule of law and democratic institutions among EU citizens of all ages, in particular among legal professionals;