During the plenary session (14-17 September 2020) in Brussels, MEPs debate the democratic backsliding and rule of law breaches in Poland and are set to call on the Council and the Commission to act to protect fundamental rights in the country.

Brussels

debate

plenary session

JOUROVÁ, Věra (EC)

LÓPEZ AGUILAR, Juan Fernando (S&D, ES)

EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (T)

EU - Poland (T)

ANGEL, Marc (S&D, LU)

Rule of law in Poland: extracts form the debate

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/18239359/I194741Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur, Indeed, the situation is extremely, extremely concerning. And in fact, it has been defined as a constitutional breakdown on more than one occasion of the architecture of rule of law and the protection of fundamental law rights in Poland when it comes to democracy and rights in any member state of the European Union. And in this case, this is in this case, it's the instance of Poland. Well, that undermines the entire project of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&Oacute;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur We cannot allow a situation in which European Parliament resolutions or actions of the commission are not listened to, or there is a contempt of a ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&Oacute;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur There are several paragraphs in this, and it focuses on pluralism and the fact that it is being reduced. It looks at fundamental rights that are also being shrunk via these legislative amendments with pressure, the inability to be able to take the streets in a demonstration, as well as the specific limits to media and the broadcasters as well. Without factoring in the opinion of the minorities and most recently we saw this during the election campaign, another specific example is the infamous LGBTI free zones.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Juan Fernando L&Oacute;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur The 75 paragraph resolution has fundamental content, and I should like to make an appeal, Council, Commission. Please make sure that you fulfill your duty. Bring forth the Article seven procedure. This is an important message for Poland to returns to the values of the European Union. Europe, of which it is a member.

SOUNDBITE (English), Marc ANGEL (S&amp;D, LU), Author , And as the co-chair of the LGBTI Intergroup, I am particularly happy that LGBTI rights in Poland are strongly addressed. The amendments the inter-group proposed and which were adopted by the S&amp;D rapporteur and supported by four other groups, specifically target the fears and the realities that LGBTI persons are experiencing in Poland. This includes hate speech by high political officials and more recently, police brutality during the mass arrests of LGBTI activists this summer during the Polish stonewall.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vĕra JOUROV&Aacute;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, For this reason, on the 28 of April 2020, the Commission opened a new infringement proceeding against Poland by addressing to It a letter of formal notice. The Commission has received no reply from the Polish authorities and will soon decide on the next steps in this procedure.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vĕra JOUROV&Aacute;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, As regards the new disciplinary regime for judges in Poland, upon the Commission's request for interim measures on the 8 of April, the European Court of Justice ruled that Poland must immediately suspend the application of national provisions concerning the powers of the disciplinary chamber of the Supreme Court.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vĕra JOUROV&Aacute;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, I would like to underline that the order of the European Court of Justice is binding. It takes immediate effect and must be implemented by the member state concerned.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vĕra JOUROV&Aacute;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, We also need to reinforce our rule of law tool box by a mechanism in the framework of protecting the future EU budget and the Commission has made a proposal in this regard already in 2018.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vĕra JOUROV&Aacute;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, We are also fully aware of the fact that more than a hundred regions and municipalities have adopted Charter's declarations and resolutions, several of which regrettably demonstrate the aim to deny fundamental rights and freedoms to the LGBTI persons.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vĕra JOUROV&Aacute;, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Values and Transparency, EU values and fundamental rights must be respected by member states and state authorities alike. Discrimination against LGBTI people has no place in the EU, and the European Commission will continue to fight against all kinds of discrimination. Thank you very much.