European Institutions

EU President-Elect Previews New Rule of Law Mechanism

July 17, 2019

EURACTIV reports that, prior to her election Tuesday as the next European Commission President, German Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen pledged her support for EU social and environmental measures that include a revamped Rule of Law Mechanism requiring annual reporting by all member states.
ECtHR Sets Standards on Right to Remain Silent

July 17, 2019

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held French police officers violated a criminal suspect’s right to a fair trial by not informing him of his right to remain silent and by restricting his access to an attorney following his arrest.
EU Council Rolls out Budget Plans in Case of No-Deal Brexit

July 17, 2019

The Council of the EU has adopted a contingency plan for the funding of a 2019 EU budget in case the UK leaves the bloc without a withdrawal deal, supplementing extensive planning by British and EU authorities to blunt the economic and other impacts of a “no-deal Brexit.”
ECtHR: Belgium Failed to Properly Review Spanish Arrest Warrant

July 17, 2019

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has held that Belgian courts failed to properly scrutinize the risks of a human rights violation in deciding to reject a European arrest warrant from Spain seeking the surrender of a murder suspect.
ECJ Develops Standard for State Notifications to Commission

July 17, 2019

The Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) has interpreted EU treaties to require the bloc’s member states to provide “sufficiently clear and precise information” describing to European Commission authorities how they are transposing into their national law directives imposed on them by the EU institutions.