Changes from plenary report to adopted text

– having regard to its resolution of 18 April 2023 on the institutional relations between the EU and the Council of Europe,

– having regard to its resolution of 1 June 2023 on the breaches of the Rule of Law and fundamental rights in Hungary and frozen EU funds,

– having regard to the report of its Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA) and to its recommendation of 15 June 2023 to the Council and the Commission following the investigation of alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware,

– having regard to its resolution of 11 July 2023 on the electoral law, the investigative committee and the rule of law in Poland,

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 6 December 2023 entitled ‘No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred’ (JOIN(2023)0051),

– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2024 on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union – annual report 2022 and 2023,

– having regard to its resolution of 18 January 2024 on extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime,

– having regard to its resolution of 28 February 2024 entitled ‘Report on the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law report’,

– having regard to its resolution of 29 February 2024 on deepening EU integration in view of future enlargement,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market and amending Directive 2010/13/EU (European Media Freedom Act),

– having regard to its resolution of 24 April 2024 on ongoing hearings under Article 7(1) TEU regarding Hungary to strengthen the rule of law and its budgetary implications,

– having regard to the conclusion of the Article 7(1) TEU procedure in relation to Poland, as announced by the Commission on 29 May 2024, following steps taken by Poland to restore compliance with EU rule of law standards,

– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 27 June 2024, including a roadmap for future work on internal reforms,

– having regard to the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024 (JOIN(2020)0005), extended until 2027,

– having regard to the Commission report of 10 October 2024 entitled ‘Funding to promote, protect and enforce fundamental rights – 2024 Annual report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights’ (COM(2024)0456),

– having regard to its resolution of 7 May 2025 on a revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world,

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 July 2025 for a Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2028 to 2034 (COM(2025)0571),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 8 October 2025 entitled ‘Union of Equality: LGBTIQ+ equality strategy 2026 - 2030’,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 November 2025 entitled ‘Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2025)0690) and its accompanying staff working documents (the Enlargement Package of 4 November 2025),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 12 November 2025 entitled ‘European Democracy Shield: Empowering Strong and Resilient Democracies’ (JOIN(2025)0791),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 12 November 2025 entitled ‘EU Strategy for Civil Society’ (COM(2025)0790),

– having regard to its resolution of 25 November 2025 on the proposal for a Council decision determining, pursuant to Article 7(1) TEU, the existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded,

– having regard to its resolution of 18 December 2025 on the implementation of the rule of law conditionality regime,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 20 January 2026 entitled ‘Union of Equality: Anti-Racism Strategy 2026-2030’(COM(2026)0012),

– having regard to the special reports of the European Court of Auditors of 17 December 2024 on Enforcing EU Law (28/2024), of 22 February 2024 on the Rule of Law in the EU (03/2024), and of 10 January 2022 on EU support for the rule of law in the Western Balkans (01/2022), to its review of 28 February 2024 on the Commission’s rule of law reporting (02/2024), and to the special report on Transparency of EU funding granted to NGOs (11/2025) and to their respective recommendations,

– having regard to the Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2024-2029, presented to Parliament on 18 July 2024 by Ursula von der Leyen, then candidate for President of the Commission, to the President of the Commission’s State of the Union speech of 10 September 2025 in the European Parliament and to the Commission communication of 2026 of 21 October 2025 entitled ‘Commission work programme 2026’ (COM(2025)0870),

– having regard to the Eurobarometer surveys of 2024 and 2025,

– having regard to the findings of the Flash Eurobarometer 569 survey of September 2025 on EU challenges and priorities,

– having regard to the reports, surveys and opinions of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA),

– having regard to the submission by FRA to the Commission in the context of the preparation of the 2025 Rule of Law Report,

– having regard to the European Committee of the Regions opinion of 2 April 2025 entitled ‘The local and regional perspective in the implementation of the Rule of Law in the European Union’

– having regard to the report of the Central European University’s Democracy Institute Rule of Law Clinic entitled ‘Rule of Law beyond the EU Member States – Assessing the Union’s Performance 2025’

– having regard to the study requested by its Committee on Budgets entitled ‘The tools for protecting the EU budget from breaches of the rule of law: the Conditionality Regulation in context’,

– having regard to its resolutions on breaches of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in the Member States,

– having regard to the feedback reports, mission reports, written questions and answers of its Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group (DRFMG),

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinions of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Committee on Budgets and the opinion of the Subcommittee on Human Rights,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A10-0091/2026),

A. whereas the EU is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, as set out in Article 2 TEU and as reflected in the Charter and enshrined in international human rights treaties; whereas the Charter is part of EU primary law; whereas these values are shared by all the Member States and should be upheld and actively promoted by the EU and each Member State individually in all their policies, both internally and externally in a consistent way; whereas Member States should ensure that there is no backsliding in the protection of the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU; whereas any undermining of these values poses a systemic threat to the rights and freedoms of the people living in the EU;

B. whereas Article 49 TEU provides that any European state applying for membership of the EU must respect and commit to promoting the values referred to in Article 2 TEU; whereas accession must remain a strictly merit-based process grounded on compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, particularly those relating to democracy, the rule of law and human rights; whereas the Copenhagen criteria stipulate that these principles cannot be disregarded or reinterpreted after accession; whereas this adherence also requires progressive alignment with the EU’s policies and positions, including the common foreign and security policy, and in particular its human-rights-based approach;

C. whereas the rule of law, fundamental rights, the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration reform and the economic criteria constitute the fundamentals of the EU accession process; whereas credible reforms and irreversible achievements in these areas are essential to ensure equality before the law and the practical enjoyment of fundamental rights;

D. whereas in line with the European Council conclusions of 27 June 2024, internal reforms should progress in parallel with the enlargement process to ensure that the EU’s policies are fit for the future;

E. whereas the situation of persons belonging to minorities should be regularly monitored and reflected in the rule of law report;

F. whereas the EU should uphold and actively protect, within its competences, the social and fundamental rights upon which it was built; whereas the persistent shortcomings in the protection of economic and social rights – including the right to fair and just working conditions, social security and protection, access to healthcare and education, support for access to adequate housing, and the principle of non-discrimination – must be regarded as a serious threat to the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU;

G. whereas in 2025 the EU has faced serious challenges and democratic backsliding in its Member States in relation to the protection of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights, which are all intrinsically connected; whereas the 2025 Rule of Law Report identifies structural weaknesses in judicial systems, anti-corruption enforcement, public service, media governance and checks and balances, while also confirming the positive trajectory in several Member States and showing that the annual rule of law cycle continues to encourage and support progress;

H. whereas FRA stresses in its Fundamental Rights Report 2025 that geopolitical changes and both legislative and societal developments put a strain on fundamental rights in the EU, and divisive identity politics play a role in increasing levels of racism and hate, inflicting suffering on people of various ethnic backgrounds and religious communities; whereas the report also notes that hate speech and harmful content continue to spread unchecked online, rapid digital changes and artificial intelligence (AI) developments threaten to exacerbate existing inequalities, and thousands of lives lost at sea and allegations of ill treatment at borders raise alarms about the treatment of asylum seekers and migrants; whereas these trends threaten democratic values and equality, posing a risk to people’s fundamental rights, and some people across the EU continue to struggle financially in the ongoing challenging socio-economic conditions which disproportionately affect those already at risk of poverty and exacerbate existing inequalities for disadvantaged groups; whereas despite the challenges faced in 2024, there are positive developments, such as EU legislation to regulate online spaces and AI, which seeks to ensure a digital environment that respects fundamental rights;

I. whereas long-standing concerns persist in a Member State subject to Article 7(1) TEU proceedings regarding the systemic concentration of political power, the erosion of institutional checks and balances and the weakening of independent oversight authorities, despite repeated calls for corrective action;

J. whereas despite the growing pressure on civic space across the EU, the 2025 Rule of Law Report does not sufficiently reflect the seriousness of this pressure and the structural threats involved, and limited recommendations have been issued; whereas the report does not adequately address persistent concerns regarding judicial independence, media freedom, corruption, and checks and balances in certain Member States;

K. whereas restrictions on freedom of assembly, access to information, electoral integrity and discrimination have not been comprehensively addressed by the Commission in several Member States;

L. whereas the CJEU, in Case C-713/23, held that a Member State must recognise, for the purposes of the rights conferred by EU law, a marriage between two EU citizens of the same sex lawfully concluded in another Member State where they exercised their freedom of movement and residence; whereas the CJEU found that refusing such recognition is contrary to EU law as it infringes both the freedom to move and reside and the fundamental right of respect for private and family life;

M. whereas according to media freedom indices, within the EU, the dangerous proximity between the news media and those in power plays out through the opaque, unequal distribution of state advertising; whereas the media landscape is defined by conflicts of interest, and when regional outlets resist pressure, they face strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) that drain their finances; whereas signs of hope are emerging, with some media sectors rebounding after reductions in legal pressures, others showing positive economic momentum, and several achieving high levels of press freedom;

N. whereas journalists in several Member States continue to face smear campaigns, abusive lawsuits, intimidation and threats, leading to fear and self-censorship and weakening the public’s right to information; whereas some journalists are forced to live under police protection;

O. whereas its Committee of Inquiry on Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware (PEGA) found that such tools were unlawfully deployed in several Member States against journalists, civil society, lawyers, opposition figures and public officials; whereas it documented serious violations of privacy, data protection and freedom of expression, warning that such practices pose a systemic threat to democracy and fundamental rights in the EU; whereas the use of spyware surveillance technologies, such as Predator, Pegasus and Paragon Graphite, against journalists in the EU remains a matter of serious concern;

P. whereas certain fundamental rights violations may have been linked to the use of some EU funds, notably in the areas of reception conditions for asylum seekers, the institutionalisation of persons with disabilities and of children, and certain urban regeneration housing and education projects; whereas certain EU funds may have been channelled into companies linked to intrusive surveillance technologies; whereas the management and oversight of EU funds should be strengthened in order to prevent such violations and ensure full compliance with the safeguards provided under EU law;

Q. whereas concerns have been raised regarding EU restrictive measures introduced under Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 and Council Regulation (EU) 2024/2642, in particular as regards their potential impact on the rights of individuals, including journalists, and the need to ensure that such measures are applied in accordance with the proportionality requirement under EU law, respect for due process, judicial oversight and adequate legal safeguards, in line with international human rights standards;

R. whereas corruption remains a major concern for EU citizens, as shown by the 2025 Eurobarometer survey on corruption; whereas in particular, 69 % of those surveyed consider corruption to be widespread in their country and 51 % believe it is widespread within political parties; whereas the survey respondents overwhelmingly reject corrupt practices, with 71 % of them considering that it is never acceptable to do favours in exchange for advantages from public authorities, 74 % rejecting the giving of gifts and 80 % rejecting the giving of money to obtain such advantages; whereas 5 % of the people surveyed report having experienced or witnessed corruption in the past 12 months but only one in five reported it, and less than half of the respondents know where to report a case of corruption;

S. whereas the Council of Europe’s GRECO underlines in its 25th General Activity Report that fundamental reforms remain essential to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, prosecution and law enforcement, and to restore trust in public institutions, political leadership, the judiciary and law enforcement, which requires sustained anti-corruption efforts, stronger supervision and independent oversight, a robust and balanced framework for managing interactions between persons’ with top executive functions and lobbyists and third parties influencing public decision-making, as well as the application of revolving door standards, and an unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, justice and integrity; whereas further action is needed to ensure that access to information laws are comprehensive, effectively enforced and proactively implemented;

T. whereas electoral integrity, equal suffrage and genuine political competition are essential components of the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU and must be systematically addressed in the rule-of-law monitoring of Member States, as well as of candidate and potential candidate countries;

U. whereas the 34th General Report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) of the Council of Europe expresses serious concern about the significant increase in prison overcrowding, particularly in some Member States, which completely undermines the functioning of prisons and potentially exposes individuals to inhuman and degrading treatment, as it causes poorer living conditions, increased tension and violence, and a reduction in purposeful activities and preparation for prisoners’ return to the community;

V. whereas according to data from FRA and the Council of Europe, inadequate healthcare, limited access to mental health support, and a growing number of suicides remain a serious concern in prisons in several Member States; whereas suicides and acts of self-harm underscore persistent and serious problems in detention systems; whereas particular attention is needed in juvenile facilities, where a lack of sufficient psychological care, education and reintegration measures exposes minors to further trauma and exclusion;