The Ministry of Justice (MJ) considers the assessment made on the rule of law in Portugal “appropriate” contained in the second annual report on the subject, written by the European Commission (EC).
In a statement issued this Tuesday, the body overseen by Francesca van Donem confirmed the positive assessment made by Brussels on the robustness of the Portuguese constitutional system and points to the three most salient aspects, in its view, of the annual report.
First, the commission’s document recognizes “current measures to respond to the challenges related to the efficiency of the judicial system”, with a particular focus on the issue of human resources and the digitization agenda for the sector, something that was also expressed in Portuguese. A plan for the mechanism of recovery and resilience.
The Brussels analysis also highlights “the approval of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, as well as associated legislative measures, aimed at reviewing the criminal procedure system” in line with the concerns expressed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the lack of speed in more complex processes.
Finally, the Ministry of Justice highlights the report’s appreciation of “parliamentary, judicial and administrative oversight of the exceptional measures taken by the government in the context of the pandemic.” The government statement adds that this commendation is part of a greater recognition of a constitutional order based on a “balance of checks and balances” that deserves positive note from the commission.
The annual report on the rule of law prepared by the European Commission, which met the second in 2021 “summarizes the general state of the European Union and carries out a specific assessment of the situation in the 27 member states, on four relevant axes to measure the effectiveness of the rule of law: the justice system, anti-corruption framework, pluralism media and other institutional issues related to the balance of power,” the Justice Department memo explains.
“The government and the institutions under their jurisdiction actively cooperated in the process of inter-institutional dialogue that was the basis for preparing the report and will now analyze it in more detail, spurring a joint effort to deepen the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights in the EU space,” the statement concludes.
