EU Commission publishes Rule of Law Report 2024
The country report on Greece includes criticism of the state of the rule of law in the country as well as references to positive steps taken by the government. Regarding the justice system in the country, the report notes the adoption of a legislative proposal to involve the judiciary in appointments to the highest positions in the judiciary, while noting that serious challenges remain regarding the length of cases before the civil courts of first instance and the Council of State. The report notes some progress in the adoption of non-legislative safeguards to improve the protection of journalists in the country, but points out that concerns about media independence remain.
The report notes that challenges remain to the quality of the law-making process in Greece and that independent authorities established under the constitution face challenges that could undermine their status and ability to effectively fulfill their mandate.
The report also refers to the violation of the right to freedom of association of the Turkish community in Western Thrace and states that the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgments, which have been pending implementation by Greece for more than 15 years, are related to the violation of the right to freedom of association due to the decisions of national courts not to register or dissolve associations on the grounds that their purpose is to promote the idea that an ethnic minority exists in the country. In a footnote to the report, it is noted that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, in its resolution adopted at its meeting in December 2023, expressed its deep concern that following the legislative amendment adopted by Greece in 2017 allowing the reopening of disputed cases, the applicants in the Bekir-Usta and Others Group have still not been reinstated, despite having exhausted the possibilities available to them within the domestic legal system.
The report also makes recommendations to Greece, inter alia, to continue its efforts to build a solid record of prosecution and final verdicts in corruption cases, including high-level corruption, to further advance the process of adopting legal and non-legal safeguards to improve the protection of journalists, and to develop a structured dialogue with civil society organizations.
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) actively participated in the consultation process with civil society organizations and other stakeholders on the EU Commission's Rule of Law Report 2024 and submitted its written contribution to the EU Commission. In its written contribution where it conveyed the problems of the Turkish community in Western Thrace, ABTTF stated that Greece has not implemented the ECtHR judgments on the Bekir Usta and Others Case Group involving Western Thrace Turkish associations since 2008 despite the decisions and all warnings of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and violated the freedom of association of the Turkish community. You can access the EU Commission's 2024 Rule of Law Country Report on Greece at https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/6741f4b2-6a10-44ba-b40c-97a5a38e6827_en?filename=21_1_58062_coun_chap_greece_en.pdf.
