Publication

This paper discusses the effectiveness of Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU), which sets up a mechanism to guarantee the protection of EU core values. The first section describes EU mechanisms for the compliance with EU values and the scope of the process laid down in Article 7. The second section presents important cases in which there was an attempt to activate the Article 7 mechanism. The third section presents the main reasons behind this mechanism’s lack of effectiveness, rooted in its political nature. The author then suggests possible changes to this procedure to ensure that breaches of EU values are effectively addressed.