Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests. What specific incidents or cases set in train the development of the new EU framework to strengthen the rule of law? Do our guests envisage treaty change? If such a change is necessary, a referendum will have to be held in Ireland. Will the Members of the Parliament have any role to play or will it just be the Commission? It was stated that there will a Commission assessment involved. Will MEPs have a role in that regard? Reference was made to threats to the rule of law which are of systemic nature and areas such as constitutional structures, separation of powers, independence or impartiality of the judiciary or a system of judicial review including constitutional justice were instanced in that regard. In developed countries, these are all part and parcel of democracy. Surely, in the context of new entrants to the EU, the position with regard to these areas would have been assessed in the opening of the various session chapters. Is it the case that the position was satisfactory at one point in some of the new member states but that reversals have occurred in the context of, for example, the independence of the judiciary? If the predominant concern relates to the new entrants, will our guests indicate whether reversals of policy occurred after their entry to the Union?