The Government decided today to support the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union in a case before the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning new rules to make the EU budget conditional on respect for the rule of law.
In December last year, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers jointly decided to introduce a rule of law conditionality regulation, making it possible to stop the payment of EU budgetary funding to countries that do not fully respect the rule of law.
Hungary and Poland later demanded that the Court of Justice of the European Union declare the regulation invalid, as they claim it contravenes the Treaty on European Union.
The Swedish Government does not share this view, and has therefore decided today to side with the Council and the Parliament when the case is examined by the Court of Justice.
“Many of us throughout the EU were pleased with the decision whereby there can be severe economic consequences for countries that do not respect the rule of law,” says Minister for EU Affairs Hans Dahlgren. “Defending these important principles and pushing for them to be applied in all EU Member States is a priority issue for the Government. For this reason, it is very problematic that two EU states are demanding that the entire regulation be declared invalid.
“This conditionality already applies, and has done so since 1 January this year. I hope that its application in practice will also begin as soon as possible. Sweden will therefore now defend this important instrument in the Court proceedings,” Mr Dahlgren concludes.
