First Mission under New Horizontal Rule of Law Mechanism
05 June 2020 News
The first European Commission mission under the new horizontal rule of law mechanism in EU Member States took place via video conference with Sofia.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Interior and representatives of the judiciary (members of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Judges’ and Prosecutors’ Colleges, the Chief Prosecutor, the President of the Supreme Court of Cassation, the President of the Special Criminal Court and inspectors with the Supreme Judicial Council Inspectorate) held discussions with European Commission experts. Meetings were held with representatives of independent bodies (the Commission for Combating Corruption and Impounding Illegally Acquired Property) and members of the Electronic Media Council.
Bulgaria fully supports the European Commission’s new horizontal approach for monitoring current affairs in Member States as regards reforming the judiciary and ensuring its independence, the anti-corruption framework, media pluralism and other institutional issues regarding the interplay between the three estates.
Discussions and the information provided will serve as the basis for the annual rule of law report, which is set to cover all Member States and reflect important ongoing processes relevant to the legal and institutional framework, and highlight positive aspects, including good practices, and existing challenges. The report will be drawn up in close dialogue with the EU Member States and the stakeholders (the Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union, the European Association of Judges, the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary, the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, the European Federation of Journalists, etc.). In collecting the necessary information, the European Commission will avail itself of the contributions of the non-governmental sector and civic society.