European Commission "out of excuses" on Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation after ECJ ruling

After today's judgement by the European Court of Justice, rejecting the Hungarian and Polish Governments' desperate attempts to annul the new regulation, there are no more excuses for the European Commission to hide behind. Renew Europe calls for the conditionality mechanism, agreed by the Co - legislators, to be applied immediately.

Katalin Cseh (Hungary, Momentum), Vice-President of Renew Europe and Renew Europe's shadow on the regulation in the Committee on Budgetary Control, said:

“This Court decision is crystal clear: the rule of law mechanism is lawful and stands ready to be applied by the European Commission. This is a victory for this Parliament. We fought for this mechanism with unity and resolve. And it is a defeat for Orban, Morawiecki, and all those who try to undermine democratic institutions. The Commission should waste no second more, and apply the mechanism.”

Moritz Körner (Germany, Freie Demokratische Partei), Renew Europe’s shadow on the regulation in the Committee on Budgets, commented:

“The time of distractions is over. There are no more excuses for the European Commission to hide behind to further delay the application of the new law. With today's verdict, the grace period for Orbán and Kaczyński has finally expired. The EU Commission must now fulfill its legal duty and initiate the rule of law mechanism. There must be no more rebates on the rule of law in the EU.”