EA members debate Rule of Law, enlargement and Internal Security Strategy at CIVEX

Key EA Group contributions in today’s second meeting of the CIVEX commission came in debates on Rule of Law implementation, EU enlargement packages and the European Commission’s upcoming Internal Security Strategy.

The EA Group’s coordinator, Magdalena Czarzyńska-Jachim, participated in discussions regarding an opinion on local perspectives on Rule of Law implementation in the EU. We must hold national governments accountable for upholding the Rule of Law, warned Magdalena Czarzyńska-Jachim, as LRAs risk losing access to EU funding when their national governments fail to comply.

Turning to the EU’s enlargement package for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, Karl Vanlouwe reaffirmed support for merit-based EU enlargement but suggested that more flexible standards might facilitate the accession of strategically important states. While acknowledging concerns over democratic backsliding, Karl Vanlouwe named Türkiye as an important candidate country whose defence capacities could strengthen Europe’s security.

The meeting concluded on a discussion with the European Commission about its new Internal Security Strategy. Kieran McCarthy underscored the need to address cybercrime at the local level and called for financial and knowledge resources to help LRAs withstand cyber-attacks. Karl Vanlouwe followed by advocating for greater LRA involvement in implementing the strategy, given their vital role in tackling locally organised crime networks.