-
EC Initiates Sanctions Process Against Poland
December 20, 2017
Politico reports that the European Commission (EC) has, for the first time, triggered the EU's process of sanctioning a member state for failing to uphold the core values of the bloc in an action against Poland over judicial independence concerns caused by an array of court reforms pursued by the country's government.
-
Polish Parliament Advances Legislation on Judiciary
December 19, 2017
Reuters reports that, in the body's ongoing battle with the EU over judicial changes, the Polish Parliament gave preliminary approval to a bill giving Parliament more authority over the membership of a panel charged with selecting the country's judges by sending a compromise reform bill authored by the Polish President Andrzej Duda to parliamentary committees.
-
Poland Faces ECJ Penalties over Logging Operations
December 15, 2017
Reuters reports that the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) ruled in November that Poland would face a penalty of 100,000 euros per day if it continued to allow logging in an ancient forest recognized by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site pending a final ECJ ruling on the logging practices.
-
EC Refers Hungary to ECJ over Higher Education Law
December 14, 2017
The European Commission (EC) has referred Hungary to the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) over the country’s refusal to amend new provisions that regulate institutions of higher education.
-
EC Refers Hungary to ECJ over NGO Funding Law
December 14, 2017
The European Commission (EC) has referred Hungary to the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) over the country’s refusal to amend its law regarding foreign funding of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
-
EC Takes Next Step Against Hungary over Asylum Law
December 14, 2017
The European Commission (EC) has sent a “reasoned opinion” to Hungary in an escalation of the legal process against the country over its alleged violation of EU law regarding asylum.
-
EC Files ECJ Complaints over Refugee Settlement
December 13, 2017
AP reports that the European Commission (EC) has targeted Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic with a complaint before the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) over their failure to participate in a 2015 EU plan to redistribute 160,000 asylum seekers across the bloc that resulted in the relocation of 32,000 refugees.
-
UK Campaign Targets Reform of EAW
December 07, 2017
On the occasion of the launch of a campaign called "Due Process" that seeks reform of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), David TC Davies MP writes that Brexit offers an important opportunity for Britain to break with the EAW's "fatally flawed system of extradition" and set up a new process that respects defendants' due process rights.
-
ECJ Official Finds Against Church on Employment Criteria
December 06, 2017
Deutsche Welle reports that Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) Evgeni Tanchev has found EU anti-discrimination law prohibits churches in Germany from discriminating against non-Christians in employment unless the discrimination is based on a "genuine, legitimate and justified occupational requirement."
-
Former Official Calls for EU FBI for Customs
December 01, 2017
The former head of the EU"s anti-fraud office Giovanni Kessler has called for the establishment of a European version of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for customs that combats fraud and smuggling at the borders of EU member states and implements a unified customs standard based on a consistent approach to border controls.