[ad_1]
The European Commission today presented the first report on the general state of the rule of law in the EU, accompanied by 27 separate reports for each of the Community countries.
The general report of our country affirms that there are challenges for the work of the judiciary and the media. One example is the lack of transparency about media ownership, which worries the commission. More funds are needed for the work of institutions dealing with the media environment. It is specified that the commission has similar observations for Greece, Luxembourg, Romania and Slovenia.
Many Bulgarian journalists claim that political interference in media work is frequent, according to the report. Regarding the safety of journalists, guidelines were given for reports from several countries, including Bulgaria, in the context of the summary that in some countries media workers face serious threats, both physically and online, due to his work. It is added that journalists are prosecuted, threatened, and ridiculed. Examples include cases from Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Spain.
The European Commission reports that anti-corruption strategies have been adopted in Bulgaria, as well as in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia. The Commission insists on the need for effective implementation of these documents and monitoring of progress. The report says that our country faces serious challenges in building the image of anti-corruption services as independent, objective and impartial. The Commission looks forward to successive final convictions for high-level corruption.
The EC offers examples from Bulgaria, Ireland, Greece, Malta, the Czech Republic, Poland and Portugal as countries with anti-corruption measures. The Commission notes the need to implement measures, including penalties for misrepresentations, lobbying, and conflicts of interest.
The report indicates that the legislative procedures related to the effective liability of the Attorney General have not been completed in Bulgaria. It is added that the issues that raised concern during the composition of the Superior Council of the Judiciary and its Inspection remain unresolved.
The report includes data for each EU country and covers positive and negative developments in the EU. The data shows that many countries have high standards in the field of the rule of law, but also that there are serious challenges in this area in the EU. Relevant changes resulting from emergency measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic are reported.
The report covers four main areas strongly related to the rule of law: national justice systems, anti-corruption legislation, pluralism and freedom of the media, other institutional issues related to the principle of interdependence and interdependence of powers, which are essential for a democratic government system.
The aim of the new report is to enrich the existing capacities of the EU with a new prevention lever and provoke debates to build a culture of the rule of law. The report should help all countries explore ways to overcome challenges, learn from the experiences of other countries, and show how the rule of law can be further strengthened with full respect for national constitutional systems and traditions.
Some EU countries are reforming to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and reduce the influence of the executive or legislature. This includes countries where the independence of the judiciary is generally perceived as great or even very great. Country-specific assessments show that the independence of the judiciary continues to be a concern in some countries, leading to criminal proceedings or prosecutions under Article 7 of the EU Treaty. Ensuring the readiness of judicial systems for the digital age is also a challenge for the EU as a whole, and the current pandemic is providing new momentum to accelerate the necessary reforms related to digitization.
Several countries have adopted comprehensive anti-corruption strategies, while others are in the process of developing such strategies. Effective implementation and monitoring remain critical to moving forward. Many countries have taken or plan to take steps to strengthen anti-corruption laws and integrity issues, and some countries have taken steps to strengthen anti-corruption laws. The effectiveness of criminal investigations, prosecutions and convictions in corruption cases, even in the highest echelons of power, remains a problem in several countries.
EU citizens enjoy high levels of freedom and pluralism of the media. Especially during the pandemic, the media showed that they have an important role to play in the fight against disinformation. The report raises concerns about the efficiency and availability of adequate resources, as well as the dangers of politicizing media services in some countries. Assessments from some countries have pointed to instances where serious concerns have been expressed about political pressure on the media, BTA reports. In some countries, journalists and other media workers are subject to threats and attacks related to their activities, although some countries have developed actions and established structures and measures to support and protect journalists.
The principle of interdependence and interdependence of institutions underlies the rule of law, so the powers exercised by each state body can be subject to democratic control. In some countries, constitutional reforms have been launched to strengthen the mechanisms of interconnection and interdependence of institutions. Many countries have put in place systematic policies for stakeholder participation and for structural reforms to be the result of broad public debate.
The report shows that excessive recourse to fast-track and emergency legislation can raise concerns about the rule of law. Across the EU, civil society remains a key factor in protecting the rule of law, and in most countries there is a favorable environment for civil society. There are examples of civil society facing serious challenges in some countries due to laws that restrict access to foreign funding or smear campaigns.
The pandemic is not over yet and some countries are still in a state of emergency. The report identifies some of the issues raised in the national debate and the legal and political response to the crisis. For example, changing or suspending customary national mechanisms for the interdependence and interdependence of authorities can pose particular challenges to the rule of law. There are several good examples where the decisions of national courts or the participation of the ombudsman have had a positive impact on the emergency measures taken. The Commission states that it will continue to monitor the problem until emergency measures are phased out.
[ad_2]
