Source: European Parliament
Democracy and the rule of law are founding values of the EU. Free and fair elections are at the core of democracy. The organisation and the conduct of national elections fall entirely within the competence and responsibility of the Member States, in line with their constitutional and legislative rules, while complying with their obligations deriving from EU law. National competent authorities and courts have the primary responsibility to ensure the respect of these rules.
The Commission supports Member States, notably in the framework of the European Cooperation Network on Elections, which brings together national authorities with responsibilities that are relevant to electoral matters.
This network allows for exchanges of information and best practices and to discuss challenges to electoral processes, including in the context of recent or upcoming elections in the EU.