LIBE Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG)

In September 2019, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) decided to renew and expand the mandate of its working group on rule of law issues, which has been renamed LIBE Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG).
The new Group is building on the work completed in the previous parliamentary term by its predecessor, set up in June 2018 in the aftermath of the murders of the Maltese blogger and journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, and the Slovakian journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée, to 'monitor the situation as regards rule of law and fight against corruption within the EU and address specific situations, in particular Malta and Slovakia'. In view of its mandate, the Group is focused on threats to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, as well as the fight against corruption within the EU, across all Member States. It is meant to recommend specific actions to the LIBE Committee, such as meetings with stakeholders, hearings and missions, as well as to make suggestions for proposals for resolutions and reports. The Group's mandate was extended until end of this legislature.
- LIBE Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DFRMG) Mandate IX Legislative Term (DOCUMENT - 18 KB)
- Members of the LIBE Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DFRMG) (PDF - 137 KB)
- DRFMG Work Programme 2023 (PDF - 227 KB)
- Overview on Article 2 TEU (PDF - 401 KB)
- Activity report of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, 13 July 2022 (PDF - 202 KB)
- Activity report of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, 19 April 2022
- Activity report of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, 17 November 2021 (PDF - 334 KB)
- Activity report of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, 16 June 2021 (PDF - 413 KB)
- Report of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, 10 July 2020 (PDF - 428 KB)
DRFMG Monitoring of Covid-19 related measures
- European Parliament resolution of 13 November 2020 on the impact of COVID-19 measures on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (2020/2790(RSP))
- The Impact of Coronavirus Measures on Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights in the EU – Overview prepared by Policy Department, Part 1, April 2020 to March 2021 (PDF - 2 MB)
- The Impact of Coronavirus Measures on Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights in the EU – Overview prepared by Policy Department, Part 2, from March 2021 (PDF - 1 MB)
- Interim Report of the Venice Commission – 8 October 2020
- EP resolution on EU coordinated action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic
DRFMG monitoring of the situation in Slovenia
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LIBE ad hoc mission to Slovenia, 13-15 October 2021
- Mission report following the LIBE ad hoc delegation to Slovenia, Ljubljana, 13-15 October 2021 (DOCUMENT - 69 KB)
- Written contribution from Iztok Šori, Director of the Peace Institute (PDF - 510 KB)
- Written contribution from Žiga Turk, Professor at the University of Ljubljana
- Written contribution from Žiga Turk, Professor at the University of Ljubljana
- Written contribution from Matej Avbelj, Professor of European Law at the New University, Ljubljana
- Written contribution from Matej Avbelj, Professor of European Law at the New University, Ljubljana
- Written contribution from Rok Čakš, journalist, Domovina.je (PDF - 213 KB)
- Written contribution from The Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy, Katarina Strnad Bervar (PDF - 199 KB)
- Written contribution from Miha Turk, Infokolpa (PDF - 205 KB)
- Rule of law in Slovenia: MEPs conclude their first mission to the country
- Agenda of the LIBE ad hoc delegation to Slovenia, Ljubljana, 13-15 October 2021 (PDF - 424 KB)
- Letter of Mirjam Kline, Supreme State Prosecutor, President of the ASPS, to the DRFMG Chair, following the meeting of 26 March 2021 (PDF - 51 KB)
- Exchange with Slovenian authorities regarding follow-up questions to the meeting of 26.3.2021 (PDF - 624 KB)
- Follow-up questions by the DRFMG Members to the exchange of views of 26 March (PDF - 37 KB)
- In Depth Analysis on the situation of Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights in Slovenia (update 1 of 25 March 2021) (PDF - 589 KB)
- Statement by the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group following the meeting on Slovenia with Prime Minister Janša
- Recording of the DRFMG meeting on the situation in Slovenia, 26 March 2021
- Agenda on the exchange of views on the situation in Slovenia, 26 March 2021 (PDF - 492 KB)
- Recording of the DRFMG meeting on the situation in Slovenia, 5 March 2021
- Agenda on the exchange of views on the situation in Slovenia, 5 March 2021 (PDF - 62 KB)
DRFMG monitoring of the situation in Bulgaria
- Follow-up questions to Bulgarian authorities (PDF - 138 KB)
- Draft agenda DRFMG meeting 27 January dedicated to the situation in Bulgaria (DOCUMENT - 36 KB)
- Questions addressed in advance by DRFMG Members to Bulgarian government (DOCUMENT - 24 KB)
- Answers from the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Bulgaria, 17 January 2022 (DOCUMENT - 61 KB)
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Answers from Bulgarian authorities, 17 January 2022 BG (DOCUMENT - 97 KB) | EN (DOCUMENT - 77 KB)
- Mission report following the ad-hoc delegation to Slovakia and Bulgaria – 21-24 September 2021
- Rule of law Bulgaria : MEPs conclude their monitoring visit
- Follow-up questions by the DRFMG Members to the exchange of views of 8 January on the situation of the rule of law in Bulgaria (PDF - 244 KB)
- Follow-up questions by the DRFMG Members to the exchange of views of 28 August on latest developments in Bulgaria (PDF - 242 KB)
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Answers of the Bulgarian authorities to the DRFMG Members
- Letter from the Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Bulgaria to the DRFMG Members, 19 February 2021 (PDF - 4 MB)
- Answers from Bulgarian Authorities to questions, 15 February 2021 (DOCUMENT - 43 KB)
- Answer from the Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Bulgaria to the DRFMG Members, 21 September 2020 (PDF - 659 KB)
- Second letter from the Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Bulgaria to the DRFMG Members, 25 September 2020 (PDF - 36 KB)
- Letter from the Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Bulgaria to the DRFMG Members, 17 September 2020 (PDF - 719 KB)
- Position of the Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Bulgaria, 24 August 2020 (PDF - 97 KB)
- Answers from Bulgarian authorities to question 1-16 and 22-29 (PDF - 690 KB)
- The specialized Prosecutors’ Office instituted pre-trial proceedings for a Crime under Chapter one of the Criminal Code (PDF - 254 KB)
- National meeting of the Bulgarian Prosecutors and Investigators (PDF - 997 KB)
- Executive summary by the Structural Reform and Support Service (PDF - 614 KB)
- Statement by Prosecutor Elena Andreeva (PDF - 80 KB)
- Replies of the Commission for Protection against Discrimination on the questions from DRFMG Group (PDF - 699 KB)
- Bulgaria: statement by the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group
- Rule of law Bulgaria : MEPs conclude their monitoring visit
Relevant LIBE – EP work on the situation in Slovakia and Malta
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EP Resolutions
- EP resolution of 15 November 2017 on the rule of law in Malta
- EP resolution of 19 April 2018 on protection of investigative journalists in Europe: the case of Slovak journalist Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová
- European Parliament resolution of 28 March 2019 on the situation of the rule of law and the fight against corruption in the EU, specifically in Malta and Slovakia (2018/2965(RSP))
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EP Missions
- LIBE ad-hoc delegation to Malta - 2-4 December 2019 - mission report (PDF - 551 KB)
- LIBE mission to Malta and Slovakia - 17-20 September 2018 - mission report
- LIBE-CONT fact-finding mission to Slovakia - 7-9 March 2018 - mission report
- LIBE-PANA ad-hoc delegation to Malta on 30 November - 1 December 2017 - mission report
DRFMG monitoring of the situation in Slovakia
- Rule of Law in Slovakia : MEPs carried out a monitoring visit
- Questions and answers by Mr Lukas Diko, Director of the Jan Kuciak Investigative Centre, DRFMG meeting on the situation in Slovakia, 22 April 2022 (DOCUMENT - 41 KB)
- Questions and answers by Ms Mária Patakyová, the outgoing Public Defender of Rights, DRFMG meeting on the situation in Slovakia, 22 April 2022 (DOCUMENT - 31 KB)
- Questions to the Slovak authorities, DRFMG meeting on the situation in Slovakia 22 April 2022 (DOCUMENT - 45 KB)
- Briefing for the DRFMG on the proposed judicial reform and the new court map in Slovakia, February 2021 (PDF - 2 MB)
- Briefing for the DRFMG on Milan Lucansky, January 2021 (PDF - 603 KB)
- Questions of DRFMG Members to Slovak authorities, 19 February 2021 (DOCUMENT - 35 KB)
- Answers of the Slovak Republic to the questions of the DRFMG (PDF - 709 KB)
- Agenda of the DRFMG meeting of 15 July 2021 (PDF - 356 KB)
- Agenda of the DRFMG meeting of 5 February 2021 (PDF - 404 KB)
- Agenda of the DRFMG meeting of 27 November 2020 (PDF - 468 KB)
- Agenda of the DRFMG meeting of 25 June 2020 (PDF - 282 KB)
- Agenda of the DRFMG meeting of 2 April 2020 (PDF - 403 KB)
- Agenda of the DRFMG meeting of 16 January 2020 (PDF - 280 KB)
- Rule of Law in Slovakia : MEPs carried out a monitoring visit
DRFMG monitoring of the situation in Malta
- Mission report following the LIBE Delegation on the Rule of Law in Valletta, Malta from 23 to 25 May 2022 (PDF - 436 KB)
- Press release: Rule of law in Malta: EP delegation finishes on-the-ground assessment, 25 May 2022
- Study by the Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs: The situation of Article 2 TEU values in Malta, May 2022 (PDF - 486 KB)
- Letter by DRFMG Chair to the Prime Minister Abela on the Public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, 29 September 2020 (PDF - 179 KB)
- Reply by Prime Minister Rober Abela to DRFMG Chair on the Public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, 5 October 2020 (PDF - 2 MB)
- Letter by DRFMG Chair to the Prime Minister Abela on the Public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, 9 December 2020 (PDF - 64 KB)
- Reply by Prime Minister Rober Abela to DRFMG Chair on the Public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, 17 December 2020 (PDF - 443 KB)
- Letter by DRFMG Chair to the Prime Minister Abela on comprehensive update on the latest state of affairs in the case of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, 25 March 2021 (PDF - 332 KB)
- Reply by Prime Minister Rober Abela to DRFMG Chair on comprehensive update on the latest state of affairs in the case of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, 01 April 2021 (PDF - 275 KB)
- Factsheet: Observing the Rule of Law and he strengthening of judicial systems in Malta (PDF - 1 MB)
DRFMG monitoring of the situation in Greece
- In-depth analysis on The situation of Article 2 TEU values in Greece – Focus on anti-corruption measures and media freedom", Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs
- Questions addressed by DRFMG Members to Greek authorities, 21 April 2022 (PDF - 19 KB)
- Follow-up questions by DRFMG Members to Greek authorities, 28 April 2022 (PDF - 175 KB)
- Reply of 28 April 2021 from the Greek Minister of Justice to DRFMG letter of 19 April 2021 (PDF - 664 KB)
- Letter to Prime Minister and Minister of Justice of Greece regarding Assassination of journalist Giorgos Karaivaz, 19 April 2021 (PDF - 167 KB)
- Follow-up questions by DRFMG Members to Greek authorities, September 2022 (PDF - 145 KB)
- Follow-up questions by DRFMG Members to Greek authorities, 23 November 2022 (PDF - 202 KB)
DRFMG monitoring of the situation in the Czech Republic
DRFMG monitoring of the situation in Spain
- Letter from the Spanish Minister of Justice on the functioning of the judiciary and the procedure for the appointments to the National Council of the Judiciary (EN), 28 May 2021 (DOCUMENT - 63 KB)
- Letter from the Spanish Minister of Justice on the functioning of the judiciary and the procedure for the appointments to the National Council of the Judiciary (ES), 28 May 2021 (PDF - 581 KB)
- Letter to the Minister of Justice of the Kingdom of Spain Mr Juan Carlos Campo regarding the functioning of judiciary and the procedure for the appointment s to the National Council of the Judiciary, 11 May 2021 (PDF - 199 KB)
- Questions DRFMG to Spanish Government, 8 September 2022 (PDF - 261 KB)