Brussels will evaluate in July the efforts to renew the CGPJ and warns that the Spanish presidency will be a "showcase"

BRUSSELS, 27 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) -

The European Commission will wait until next July to "objectively" evaluate the efforts made by the Government and the opposition to renew the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) when it publishes its annual report on democratic health in the Twenty-seven; a month in which he has warned that the rotating presidency of the EU that Spain will assume will function as a "showcase".

"In July we will objectively reflect reality (...) we ask Spain what we can expect, where we will be this year. In addition, the Spanish presidency can be a small showcase", reasoned the vice president of the European Commission responsible for State for right, Vera Jourova, in an interview with Europa Press together with other European agencies in the 'European Newsroom'.

In this way, the community vice president has avoided commenting on her impressions on the impasse in which the renewal of the governing body of judges finds itself, beyond recalling that, in its last annual evaluation, the community Executive urged Spain to urgently renew the CGPJ and proceed "immediately afterwards" to the reform of the system for selecting members to guarantee, as required by European standards, that at least half of the members are chosen by their peers.

Jourova also recalled that over the last year she has maintained contacts both with the Spanish Government and with the opposition parties and that, in this context, she has received "many guarantees" that the parties involved are "working" on the recommendations from Brussels to unblock the lack of progress.

In this way, the community vice-president has avoided directly answering the question of whether Brussels should now open an infringement procedure due to the lack of progress in the renewal of the CGPJ and has insisted that the community services carry out a "very serious" evaluation and "carefully" of the situation in each Member State.

Jourova has asked the parties involved what they are going to do to try to unblock the situation, which has been at a standstill for several years, but Brussels remains cautious while waiting to conclude its annual analysis, which is expected to be published next month. of July.

In addition, Jourova has shown herself to be aware of the condition of the electoral calendar and, without going into details about its impact on the blockade, she has ventured that from Brussels they expect "great debates on sensitive issues", as is the case of the CGPJ.

"The CGPJ will be one of the most sensitive issues, I imagine, in the political debate in Spain", he declared to the European agencies, before stressing that Brussels will have a "sober and frugal" position while waiting for its services to conclude and publish their annual report on the rule of law

Jourova also did not want to answer whether he believes that the Commission should react to the lack of progress in the renewal of the CGJ with a disciplinary file, Jourova has shown himself to be very cautious when considering that it is a "theoretical" reflection on which he cannot venture.