Ms Vra Jourov?:

When we saw serious issues in the rule of law in some member states we also made the enlargement discussions and negotiations tougher for the countries which want to join the EU. Chapters 23 and 24 in the negotiations are more demanding and rigid when it comes to requirements. It now also covers the media sphere and so on. It is not easy for the countries which want to join the EU but they became kind of used to it. The western Balkan countries were upset because there was an impression that we were giving Ukraine some fast-track regime for accession, which is not true. At the same time we have to look at the reality in Ukraine. The country is fighting against the aggressor and at the same time it is announcing to us its progress in working on different files, laws, institutional changes and so on.

The rule of law, as a principle, is heavily present in it, and we are aware that by pushing the accession countries to meet high requirements from the EU we have to put our house in order. That is why we strengthened the tools in this respect. The rule of law report is one of the new instruments and the other is the conditionality regulation. The Deputy asked about Hungary and it permitted the introduction of rather vast and broad changes in its anti-corruption system and it partly introduced changes in its judiciary system. Hungary has made 17 commitments and the Commission accepted that Hungary should carry these commitments out, introduce several things, establish the integrity body and make stricter the assets declarations system and so on. These 17 points are very concrete. Hungary accepted this proposal. In spite of hearing a strong voice from Hungary to do all of that, which it can do because it has constitutional majority-----