Back to EUR-Lex homepage

EUR-Lex Access to European Union law

Back to EUR-Lex homepage

This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website

Use quotation marks to search for an "exact phrase". Append an asterisk (*) to a search term to find variations of it (transp*, 32019R*). Use a question mark (?) instead of a single character in your search term to find variations of it (ca?e finds case, cane, care).
Search tips
Need more search options? Use the Advanced search
You are here

Glossary of summaries

Rule of law

Date of last review:
13/09/2021
Author:
Publications Office of the European Union
Responsible entity(ies):
Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers

Rule of law

The rule of law is enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union as one of the common values for all EU Member States. Under the rule of law, all public powers always act within the constraints set out by law, in accordance with the values of democracy and fundamental rights, and under the control of independent and impartial courts. Respect for the rule of law is essential for the very functioning of the EU: for the effective application of EU law, for the proper functioning of the internal market, for maintaining an investment-friendly environment and for mutual trust.

The EU has developed a number of different instruments to promote and uphold the rule of law. The EU’s rule-of-law policy approach rests on three pillars:

  • the promotion of a rule-of-law culture in the EU, which involves deepening common work to spread understanding of the rule of law in Europe;
  • the prevention of rule-of-law problems where they emerge in a Member State, having the capacity to intervene at an early stage and avoiding the risk of escalation, including in particular the European Rule of Law Mechanism, with the annual Rule of Law Report at its centre;
  • the ability to mount an effective response when a problem of sufficient significance has been identified in a Member State, including the procedure under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union.

Along with having a functional democracy and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, the rule of law is also one of the political criteria that countries wishing to join the EU have to meet.

SEE ALSO

Top