Activities of Cristian Dan PREDA related to 2017/2131(INL)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the situation in Hungary (pursuant to the European Parliament resolution of 17 May 2017)
Amendments (5)
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is worried by the recent developments in Hungary, where there are serious concerns about the fulfilment of the principles of the Rule of Law and the principles stated in Article 2 TEU, including the functioning of the constitutional system, the independence of the judiciary and of other institutions and the systematic removal of checks and balances, freedom of expression, academic freedom, human rights, the right to equal treatment, social rights, the defence of civil society organisations, the functioning of the constitutional system, the independence of the judiciary and of other institutions;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deeply regrets the antagonistic and misleading rhetoric sometimes used by the Hungarian institutions referring to the European Union and the deliberate choice of the authorities to put in place legislation directly breaching Union values; recalls the objectives stated in Article 3(1) and (2) TEU that Hungary accepted to attain when joining the Union in 2004;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Believes that if a serious and persistent breach of the rule of law by a Member State has been established, the Commission as the 'guardian of the Treaties' should use every tool at its disposal to defend the fundamental values on which the Union is founded, including the activation of Article 7 TEU; highlights that an appropriate response to the violation of Union fundamental values requires a combination of adequate legal instruments and political will, despite the difficulty to reach a decision in the European Council because of the unanimity requirement;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Emphasises that the infringement procedure has shown its limits in addressing systematic violations of Union values because of its main focus on technical matters which allow governments to propose formal remedies while keeping the laws breaching Union law in force; believes that in the case of the violation of the principle of sincere cooperation embodied in Article 4 TEU, the Commission has no legal obstacle preventing it from building on infringement cases to identify a pattern amounting to a breach of Article 2 TEU;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that its 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 rights1 asked the Commission to submit by September 2017 a proposal for the conclusion of a Union Pact for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (EU Pact for DRF); notes that this proposal is yet to come; _________________ 1 and that there is an urgent need to set-up an efficient mechanism to safeguard Union's fundamental values considering the increasing frequency of the violations of Union law by some Member States; _________________ 1 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0409. Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0409.