Oireachtas Committee to hear from EU Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders

Speaking before the meeting, Committee Vice-Chairman Deputy Brendan Howlin said: “The Committee welcomes this engagement with Commissioner Reynders to discuss the report including the country chapter on Ireland which provides analysis on issues such as judicial independence, media plurality and anti-corruption measures.

“The Committee on European Union Affairs engaged with stakeholders across a range of categories on the topic of Rule of Law by inviting written submissions. Among the issues Members hope to raise is feedback from those submissions, including concern about the methodology used to compile the Report with reliance on data submitted by Member States themselves.”

Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union enshrines the rule of law as one of the common values for all Member States. Under the Rule of Law, all public powers always act within the constraints set out by law, in accordance with the values of democracy and fundamental rights, and under the control of independent and impartial courts.

The EU Commission, last September, published its first Annual Report on the Rule of Law across the European Union. Kick-starting an inclusive debate on rule of law culture across the EU is among the aims of the report.

Watch the meeting, from Committee Room 3 live.