The European Commission is preparing rule of law reports for EU member and candidate countries, set to be published on 3 July, though this date may change. The reports will use the same methodology for both groups to provide a clear comparison. President Ursula von der Leyen announced this initiative to help candidate countries progress towards EU membership. The reports, first published in 2020, assess the rule of law in areas like judiciary, corruption, media freedom, and institutional issues. The 2023 report highlighted issues such as public perception of judicial independence and national anti-corruption strategies. The upcoming report is expected to reiterate the importance of fighting corruption and ensuring media freedom and pluralism while examining media ownership and regulatory bodies’ independence. Read more here.
Source: European Western Balkans