On 26 June 2023 HRW called on Spain use its six-month tenure as EU Presidency to translate into concrete and bold actions commitment to protect fundamental rights and the rule of law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spain holds the presidency as the world marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 2023. In anticipation of this pivotal moment Spain should make every effort to uphold the rights and values enshrined in this historic document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HRW calls upon the Spanish government to consider the following priority issues and recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two EU member states \u2013 Hungary and Poland \u2013 currently face scrutiny under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU)…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The freezing of EU recovery and cohesion funds under the conditionality mechanism represents a welcome step but it is insufficient to address the gravity of the erosion of rule of law and human rights. While Hungary and Poland have adopted some limited measures in response to requirements under the mechanism, these have failed to address fundamental and long-standing concerns. ….We urge the Council to hold the Polish and Hungarian governments to account by using the powers conferred to it under the Treaties and to fulfil the strong mandate to act given to it by the European Commission and Parliament. The urgency of Spain\u2019s leadership and responsibility cannot be overstated as it is one of only two remaining presidencies before Hungary and Poland in turn assume leadership of the Council. It is highly likely that during that time progress on rule of law will at best stall, and at worst Article 7 scrutiny will come to an end altogether…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spain\u2019s EU Council presidency comes at a critical time for the EU\u2019s migration policy after the Council agreed on 8 June on a negotiating position on an EU-wide reform of its asylum and migration system. Given its mandate to lead on behalf of member states the negotiations with the European Parliament on a final agreement, Spain has an opportunity to broaden the scope for a rights-respecting approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We call on your government to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The EU is equipped with solid instruments to ensure that human rights protection remains at the centre of its external action. The EU has shown resolve in its response to Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine and has led at the United Nations to address key human rights crises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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During its Presidency, we call on your government to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n