Rule of law and fundamental rights in Slovenia
On Wednesday, MEPs will assess media freedom and the state of democracy in Slovenia, as well as the delay in appointing a representative to the EU Prosecutor’s Office.
The Slovenian government is yet to complete its part of the EU Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) nominations process. The Commission’s 2021 rule of law report on Slovenia noted that appointments of state prosecutors in the country are unjustifiably delayed, and warned about the failure to nominate European Delegated Prosecutors in a timely manner. At a meeting of the Budgetary Control Committee on 1 October, the EU’s chief prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi condemned the failure of Slovenia to delegate its prosecutors to the EPPO, leading to a “prosecuting gap” and leaving the EU budget in Slovenia unprotected.
MEPs are likely to raise the issue of online harassment and threats against journalists in Slovenia, as well as abusive lawsuits to silence critical voices, so-called SLAPPs. Although the issue with the Slovenian Press Agency’s funding has been resolved, concerns over the broader media environment remain. A European Parliament delegation travelled recently to Ljubljana, where MEPs met with national authorities, journalists and NGOs to assess the respect for EU values in the country.
Procedure: Council and Commission statements, with resolution to be voted on in December
Debate: Wednesday, 24 November