Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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61. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which all member states in the EU contiue to adhere to EU rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3909/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Member States have the primary responsibility for the correct transposition, application and implementation of EU law. This effective application of EU law is essential to ensure that citizens and businesses enjoy the benefits and meet the obligations established by EU law.The European Commission is responsible for ensuring that EU law is complied with. If the European Commission considers that a Member State is not applying EU law correctly, certain remedies are available if informal dialogue is not successful, including the opening of an infringement action by the Commission against the Member State concerned. If a resolution is ultimately not found through this process, the matter may be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union for decision. While in a Union of 28 members there will at any one time always be several cases at various stages of the process, on the whole I am satisfied that Union law is respected. Separately, the Treaty on European Union sets out in Article 2 the fundamental values of the Union. Under Article 7, procedures exist for action against a Member State believed to be at serious risk of, or in, breach of those values. Those procedures have so far never been invoked. The General Affairs Council has responsibility for these issues. The next debate in the Council on the theme of the rule of law is next month.