Anyone who receives EU funds should adhere to EU values. This is the principle of the Rule of Law mechanism (RoL mechanism), which has been in place since 2021. In a letter to the EU Commission, the Swedish Minister for European Affairs Jessica Rosencrantz and the Finnish Minister for European Affairs Joakim Strand call for this instrument to be expanded. The functioning of the EU is based on trust between the member states. „In order to maintain and strengthen this trust, all members must adhere to our common values, especially the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights“, they write.