The European Commission issued six recommendations in the area of the rule of law for Slovakia on Wednesday. The recommendations are part of the third annual rule of law report. In addition to highlighting the commitments made by the Slovak government in the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan concerning certain aspects of the judicial system, the Commission recommends a series of six measures to Slovakia to improve the rule of law. Slovakia should ensure that the members of the Judicial Council have sufficient guarantees of independence. The Commission asks Slovakia to ensure that sufficient safeguards are in place and properly respected when judges are exposed to criminal liability for abuse of office in relation to their judicial decisions. The European Commission recommends that Slovakia submit proposals to regulate lobbying and strengthen legislation on conflict of interest and asset declaration. The EU executive also asks the Slovak side to improve coordination between the different actors involved in criminal proceedings and to ensure the objectivity of prosecutorial decisions.It is also recommended to provide further safeguards to improve the safety of journalists and greater independence of the public media.
SOURCE: TASR, SITA
