What is the Article 7 process?

The Article 7 process of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) can be activated by the EU when a member state breaches EU values such as the rule of law or is clearly at risk of doing so.

The Article 7 process requires a unanimous vote in the European Council that a member state has committed a ‘serious and persistent breach’ in order for punitive measures to be introduced.

This means it becomes very difficult for any punitive measures to be adopted when more than one member state is problematic as they will likely team together to block a vote going through. As a result, the process has been largely stymied.

You can read more about the Article 7 process here.