Joaquín Marco, Marta Pérez Gabaldón and Carlos González Tormo, professors at UCH-CEU and members of the research project led by Dr. Sanz on the crisis of the Rule of Law in the EU, together with research assistants Zitan Peng and Almudena Del Castillo, attended on February 19, 2024 the parliamentary law course held annually at the Palau de les Corts Valencianes, which, on this occasion, had the participation of Professor Jean Monnet ad personam Teresa Freixes Sanjuán.
Teresa Freixes, who in addition to being Vice President of the Royal European Academy of Doctors is co-author of one of the chapters that make up the book that Dr. Sanz coordinates with the Aranzadi publishing house on the decline of the Rule of Law in the European Union, has participated in this course giving a lecture on Parliament and separation of powers within the EU framework, in which she dedicated a few words to highlighting the significance of the values of article 2 TEU as well as the existing political, judicial and preventive mechanisms against violations of the rule of law by the member countries of the Union.
Professor Freixes began her presentation with a detailed explanation of the origin of what we know today as the “European Union”: from the creation of the ECSC, the former European Economic Community (EEC) as well as the subsequent treaty known as EURATOM. All of them contributed to the creation of the first institutions formed by European countries after the Second World War, and due to the celebration of the Hague Congress of 1948, whose purpose was to achieve some form of cooperation or federation of Europeans States.
Next, Dr. Freixes explained the tripartite system of separation of powers that characterizes the European Union, in which all its bodies (executive, legislative and judicial) support and complement each other, forming an almost perfect system of checks and balances.
Afterwards, Prof. Freixes gave a presentation on the different institutions of the European Union, including their powers and faculties.
Likewise, she has highlighted the importance of the values included in art. 2 of the TEU, whose criteria are essential for a country to become part of the European Union.
Faced with obvious and continuous attacks by a Member State on these values, Dr. Freixes affirms that the European Union has the political mechanism of art. 7 TEU, which could ultimately leave the delegates of the non-compliant country without rights, although its effective applicability requires unanimity, which today has become its biggest obstacle.
For this reason, other mechanisms are used such as the judicial one, represented through the presentation of preliminary questions and appeals for non-compliance before the CJEU, as well as the conditionality mechanism that allows the withdrawal of the delivery of European funds to those Member States that violate the basic rules of the Rule of Law in the EU.
Subsequently, Professor Freixes explained the different ways that both Member States and citizens have to participate in the legislative processes and decision-making in the EU through participatory democracy, ensuring that even individual voices can be heard in the European Parliament with tools such as the Transparency Register, Open Consultations to citizens, Petition Committees, etc.
Finally, Professor Freixes concluded with a sentence about the importance of the media as a link between citizens and the European institutions.
“Communication can bring the EU closer to citizens” – Teresa Freixes, February 19, 2024, in les Corts Valencianes.
After the conference, the members of the project directed by Dr. Sanz delivered to Dr. Freixes the latest book coordinated by Professor Susana Sanz in which all the members of the project together with Dr. Freixes and other renowned academics participate as co-authors: “The Europe of values? The decline of the Rule of Law in the European Union” Aranzadi 2023.
