Spain should strengthen separation of powers and efficiently handle corruption, says EU

Spain should focus on strengthening the separation of powers but also on becoming more efficient with handling corruption, the European Commission stated on Wednesday in its third annual Rule of Law report. 

The report comes in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which further "showcased the importance of upholding democratic values, human rights, and the rule of law," the EU body shared in a statement. 

This is the third report it publishes, and as on previous occasions, the European Commission observes the judicial system, corruption, and press freedom. In the case of Spain, the report is similar to the last two versions and does not mention the pro-independence political conflict between Catalonia and Spain.

The commission, however, once again warned Spain about the "renewal of the Council for the Judiciary" as it should be considered a "matter of priority," arguing the country should "initiate, immediately after the renewal, a process in view of adapting the appointment of its judges-members, taking into account European standards," the report reads. 

"The Spanish justice system has continued undergoing important developments. The fact that the renewal of the Council for the Judiciary is pending since December 2018 remains a concern," the abstract of the report reads. For this to happen, at least half of its members should be chosen by other judges.

The country should "strengthen the statute of the Prosecutor General, in particular regarding the separation of the terms of office of the prosecutor from that of the government," the EU Commission recommends. 

Currently, the prosecutor's office spends the same time in office as the executive, but the EU body suggests this should change, adapting it to European standards on "independence and autonomy of the prosecution."

Another one of the EU's recommendations is to address the "challenges" related to the length of investigations and prosecutions to increase the efficiency in handling high-level corruption cases. The EU body, however, praises the steps in regards to conflicts of interest and having set up a law to protect those denouncing corruption.

Regarding press freedom, Spain still has some "challenges" when it comes to the transparency of those who own newspapers and written press. The report also encourages pursuing "work to strengthen access to information, in particular via revision of the Law on Official Secrets."