Law & Justice

Observer: EU Oversteps with Rule-of-Law Inquiry on Poland

January 19, 2016

Pawel Lisicki writes in The Guardian that the European Commission's announcement of an investigation of Polish laws that changed the operation of the country's Constitutional Court and amended the process of appointing public media officials for systemic rule-of-law violations will provoke an anti-EU backlash among the Polish people.
EU Commission Signals Data Concerns in Mergers

January 19, 2016

The European Commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager recently stated that the Commission will examine the ability of small businesses to compete in personal-data storage when it reviews mergers of large companies in the technology industry and decides whether to "restore the level playing field" in this sector.
EU Antitrust Probe Ripples Across Film Industry

January 19, 2016

Variety reports that an antitrust investigation announced by European Commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager into exclusive licensing contracts agreed by US film studios and European pay TV operators could have substantial effects on the film industry's business model and profitability in Europe.
EU Investigates Poland under Rule of Law Mechanism

January 13, 2016

Politico reports that the European Commission has launched a preliminary, formal assessment of Poland under the EU Rule of Law Mechanism, developed in 2014 to deter and respond to "systemic threats" to the rule of law in EU countries, for legislation from the new Polish Parliament on the country's constitutional court.
HRW Seeks Use of EU Rule of Law Mechanism in Poland, Hungary

January 13, 2016

An article by Lydia Gall of Human Rights Watch ("HRW") blames controversial Polish legislation regarding the country's constitutional court and public media on a previous weak EU response to similar developments in Hungary, and calls upon the European Commission to launch its potentially punitive "rule of law mechanism" with regard to developments in both countries.
EU Forces Belgium to Collect Corporate Back Taxes

January 12, 2016

Politico reports that the European Commission has found Belgian rules under which the government did not tax multinational companies on so-called "excess profits" earned due to their global advantages were illegal state aid and ordered the country to collect approximately €700 million in back taxes from 35 of these companies.
Article Details Potential EU Actions on Polish Legislation

January 12, 2016

An article in euobserver details the options the European Commission might pursue as it considers action, including through treaty processes and the EU "rule of law mechanism," on Polish legislation dealing with the country's constitutional court and public broadcasters.
EU Discusses Actions on Rule of Law in Poland

January 11, 2016

Politico reports that, due to the concerns of officials that the new Polish Government is jeopardizing the rule of law by refusing to install constitutional court judges selected by the previous government, the European Commission will debate whether this development requires monitoring and possible sanctions by EU authorities under the bloc's Rule of Law Mechanism.
UK MP Claims Terrorism Risks of Brexit

January 05, 2016

UK Member of Parliament Keir Starmer has written that by "flirting" with a potential withdrawal from the EU, Prime Minister David Cameron is increasing the risks of terrorist attacks and the effects of cross-border crime in Britain.
EU Commission Considers Action on Polish Court, Media Laws

January 04, 2016

The European Commission is discussing potential actions, including activating the EU Rule of Law Mechanism, established in 2014 to counter "systemic threats" to the rule of law, in response to Polish legislation on the composition of the country's Constitutional Court and on replacing the heads of the country's public broadcasters.