- Date
- October 2001
This report by the Open Society Institute European Union Accession Monitoring Program examines judicial independence in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. By raising important questions, and setting forth fact-based findings, this report aims to assist the strengthening of the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in the European Union.
In keeping with the larger aims of the Open Society Institute, the report measures compliance by using the EU political criteria for membership (as defined by the European Council in Copenhagen in 1993): "Membership requires that the candidate country has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities."
In order to determine what topics should be monitored, the program looked at the political criteria frequently highlighted by the European Commission itself: minority rights, judicial independence, and corruption. Monitoring was also initiated on a fourth topic: equal opportunities for women and men.
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