Rule of law in Slovakia and Malta: MEPs to check the situation on the ground - Hoofdinhoud

Civil Liberties Committee MEPs will go to Slovakia and Malta next week to assess the rule of law, corruption and the safety of journalists.

To this end, they will meet members of both governments, police and judicial authorities, journalists and NGOs. Meetings are also scheduled with representatives of the families of murdered journalists Ján Kuciak and Daphne Caruana Galizia.

This delegation will follow up previous missions to both countries after the assassinations of Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová, and Caruana Galizia. The new monitoring group on rule of law and the fight against corruption, set up within the Civil Liberties Committee to address the situation in these two member states in particular, recommended a new visit to Bratislava and Valetta to gather further insights.

In Slovakia, MEPs plan to see President Andrej Kiska, Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini and representatives of the justice and interior ministries. They will meet special prosecutors, the national police chief and representatives of other law enforcement bodies, as well as several journalists and editors, and NGOs active in the fields of transparency and fighting corruption.

In Malta, they plan to meet justice and tourism ministers, and quiz the Attorney General, the Chief of Justice, police authorities and the heads of the Malta Financial Services Authority and the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit. MEPs will also exchange views with journalists and representatives of the Daphne Project and discuss the situation with NGOs concerned with the rule of law and fighting corruption.

Press conferences

There will be two press conferences by the Head of the delegation, Ms Sophia in ‘t Veld, in Bratislava, on Tuesday at 18:00, and Valetta, on Thursday at 13:30.

Background

The Civil Liberties Committee decided last May to establish a new working group to monitor the situation as regards the rule of law and fight against corruption within the EU, with specific reference to Malta and Slovakia. It is chaired by Sophia in ‘t Veld (ALDE, NL) and is composed of one member per political group.

With a mandate until 31 December 2018, the working group is tasked with recommending specific actions such as meetings, hearings and missions. It will also present a final report to the committee summarising its conclusions.

List of members travelling to Slovakia and Malta

Sophia in ‘t Veld (ALDE, NL), Chair of the monitoring group on rule of law and Head of the delegation.

Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT).

Josef Weidenholzer (S&D, AT).

Monica Macovei (ECR, RO).

Sven Giegold (Greens/EFA, DE).