Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola has been re-selected as part of the European Parliament’s Rule of Law Monitoring Group, which has expanded its mandate in this new legislature.

MEPs from the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) set up the Rule of Law Monitoring Group in 2018 in the wake of the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Slovakian journalist Jan Kuciak and Kuciak’s fiancée.

The group sought to give full support to efforts to seek justice and make sure the rule of law prevails and its final report identified serious shortcomings in the rule of law in both Malta and Slovakia.

LIBE has now extended the group’s mandate by a further two and a half years and has also expanded its remit to look into issues related to democracy, fundamental rights, the fight against corruption as well as the rule of law across EU member states.  It will be able to recommend specific actions that the European Parliament can take as well as make suggestions for LIBE proposals for resolutions and reports. Its mandate will remain in force until 31 December 2021, at which point a mid-term review will be carried out.

Roberta Metsola said that “We will work on the previous mandate that looked at Malta and Slovakia in particular and assess what progress, if any, has been made since our report.”

“The Group will look at every Member State and will seek to push for reforms where these are necessary. I expect the Group will again visit States, hold hearings and make specific recommendations.”

“Our interest is not to single out any State in particular – we will look at different systems in different States and make proposals to strengthen them where these are needed.”

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