The rule of law is the foundation of the EU, hence it is a core value which must be respected by all EU member states and candidate countries alike. In order to advance on their path to EU accession, candidate countries must also abide by the obligations enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. For the first time this year, several candidate countries are included in the exercise of annual rule of law reports, which is another instrument for the European Commission to measure their level of alignment with EU’s standards and democratic values. This annual insight focuses on that development, as well as other relevant rule of law developments on the EU level. It also concentrates on various aspects concerning Chapter 23 where some issues have been identified in North Macedonia.
