Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice gives a presentation on the need for a conditionality clause in the next Multiannual Financial Framework on Democracy, Rule of Law and fundamental rights to the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament in Brusels.

Brussels

speech

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

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

REYNDERS, Didier (BE, EC)

Multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 (T)

LIBE : The need for a conditionality clause in the next Multiannual Financial Framework on Democracy, Rule of Law and fundamental rights: Presentation by Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, Good afternoon. Good afternoon. And those who are there. Please be seated. Those who are present in the room, those who are present in the room. Those who are present in the room. Please be seated at home. Just at ease. At your ease in. But please let's try to concentrate. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, First of all, again, just to begin with not only good afternoon, but thank you for your understanding and your forgiving understanding of the inconveniences of this kind of performance that we have been styling for some time. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, Because it means in practical terms, that we've got only two hour slot, including interpreters interpretation coming to our slot for a couple of points this afternoon of the utmost relevance for the agenda of the committee. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, But to begin with, as we have a vote this afternoon, as we are having a vote, first thing is trying to cheque that we have a quorum. So please send live signals. OK, as we count the quorum, as we usually do when we have a vote, let's make the best out of the time available, starting with the agenda. We adopt the agenda.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, ]If no objections to the interpretations I escaped them because, you know, you've got your notes and you know, which are the limits of the situation of us. And the same goes as to the endorsement of coordinators. And then we spend some minutes relating all of the reports that are being allocated according to the decisions being made by the coordinators

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, But the point here is that the committee is supposed to endorse the recommendations of the coordinators. If it's OK, that will also be done. So we go right to the instructions as to the amendments, which we are voting via remote voting procedure in parallel with committee procedure.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, But as we are to count people on board, please send life signals so that we may reassure that we've got quorum enough. Please raise hands. Those who are present in the room. We appreciate it and thank you for that. We appreciate it so much. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, OK, we've got quorum. Good enough. Now let's go to the issues which are two. Yes, the vote is now open. I'm announcing remote. The vote is open. And now let's go to the let's go to the substantial points in the order. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, The first is point number three of our agenda of our committee order of the day this afternoon, general budget, European Union financial year.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, Twenty twenty one on sanctions. Voting on fundamental rights in Bulgaria is voting, but the substantial point relates nothing less than to the exchange of views on the conditionality clause for the next multiannual financial framework on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights and essential point for the European Parliament. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, We made it clear we are not compromising on the conditionality clause of something of the kind there must be. There must be in the multiannual financial framework on democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, And as to report as to the state of the play and to get to know as to the position regarding this relevant claim which has been upheld systematically so by the European Parliament, is nothing less than Didier Reynders, our commissioner for Justice.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, You know that the point here is ensuring that systemic breaches of the values referred to in Article two are made incompatible with access to EU funding and budgeting strong parliament position. We have underlined that we regret to get to know that the European Council, in its conclusions July 2020, weakened the budgetary conditionality. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, As we understand it, the so-called budget conditionality mechanism proposed by the commission. We have the opportunity today discuss this topic with Commissioner Reynders here to introductory the situation, the state of play for the next ten minutes and then we will be opening floor. But I'm announcing, as we did when we had Commissioner Johansson reporting on the new package of migration and asylum,. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, That there comes a time in which time is more essential than usually, you know, And I try to be as flexible as I can to get everybody on board when hands are raised. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, Have you all on board and have your say? But we will have to be very strict when it comes to the timing of every point that is to be made by the members willing to take the floor beginning, of course, with the with the people in charge, with the people in charge, because we have another point right after no less importance, nothing less than rule of law report, rule of law, all important.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Juan Fernando L&#211;PEZ AGUILAR (S&amp;D, ES), LIBE Chair, All is to be done in two hours. So please make the best to concentrate, focus and get ready before getting the floor to phrase your mind in two minutes. Maximum, one minute maximum on the second round so that we can make it OK. Commissioner Renders the floor is yours.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, Thank you are very much present. I will try to save time and to be brief on this point, because the other one is about the report was quite huge.  

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, Thank you first of all for having invited me. Yesterday, the Commission adopted its first annual report on the rule of law, which we will discuss further on under the next item. That was an important step in terms of the rule of law. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, Now, that's important because the European project is based on the rule of law in all member states. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, In her speech in September, the president of the commission said that the rule of law is of the utmost importance for this commission on Democracy and fundamental rights and is essential for the functioning of the union for effective application of EU law, mutual trust, the single market and an investment friendly environment. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, The rule of law is also essential for ensuring that budgets are spent in accordance with applicable rules. This is why the commission has proposed in 2008 a regulation to protect the EU budget against rule of law deficiencies

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, And I thank your committee as well as the Commerce Committee for your strong support to this proposal, which is essential to ensure that an effective conditionality is put into place

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, Defending the EU budget from efficiencies such as the lack of effective prosecution against fraud is more important than ever, and we will continue to work on fraud, abuse and conflict of interest through Olaf, of course, but also with the installation on the new European Public Prosecutor office. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, With the chief prosecutor Laura Kovisi, it will be one part of the situation that we are facing and we need to fight against possible fraud or abuse is a conflict of interest interest, and it will be for the first time possible to organise investigations and prosecutions about it. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, But on the other hand, of course, we need to have a link between the funding of different policies and the rule of law. And that's the second part is the conditionality about the rule of law. The agreement of the July European Council on the Mutual Amendments, General Financial Framework and Next-Generation EU is created important expectations across Europe. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, The political dialogue between EU institutions on the recovery package and the IMF is now well engaged. We are now close to reaching an historic agreement on a recovery package of unprecedented size and ambition. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, An agreement on the new IMF next generation. EU must, however, be accompanied by a full set of measures to protect against the EU budget and accept what I have said about fraud, abuses and conflict of interest. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, A clear mechanism of rule of law. Conditionality is an integral part of the to protect your budget as well as funding and next generation EU. The conclusions of the European Council contain contain a clear commitment to the rule of law and to the protection of the financial interests of the union. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, There is this a call from the European Council for a conditionality regime on this basis, the council has adopted yesterday at COREPER level its mandate to start negotiations with the Parliament. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, We hope that the trialogues will begin soon and allow for the rapid adoption of an effective mechanism. The commission is ready to begin discussions with the legislators and fully play its role in this process. And I can assure you that the bonds made by the Parliament in dispositional will not. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, And I want to reaffirm that we will work on the basis of our legislative proposal on 2018 and in such a legislative proposal, we have seen that. We have expressed the fact that it is very important to take care of the rule of law and to use very efficient cross-border rules and certainly about the majority that is needed to use. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, So, of course, now it's time to discuss with the legislators in the trialogue to see what is the possible agreement that we will have the position now of the council who have the proposal of the commission from 2018 and without your support 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, Of maybe a final point, Mr President, the commission fully agrees on the need to ensure the protection of final recipients and beneficiaries. It is important that they do not pay the price for rule of law deficiencies. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, The commission is committed to address these issues in the trialogue. Then the beneficiaries, I said. And finally, recipients shall not be affected. They are not responsible for the conduct of national authorities. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, The member state concerned will be obliged to honour payments to final recipients and beneficiaries. This is provided for in the proposal. Moreover, the commission, when proposing measures under the rule of law conditionality, would target as much as possible those forms of funding, which directly benefit member states. 

SOUNDBITE (Original), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, And I count on the continued support of the Parliament to find an agreement that preserves the effectiveness and the ambition of the commission's proposal protecting our common budget is in the interests of all of us, and I thank you again for your attention, for invitation. And of course, I am looking forward for your remarks, questions and observations. 