The 2026 Justice Scoreboard highlights the importance of effective justice systems for the EU’s competitiveness and the Single Market

The European Commission has published the fourteenth edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard, an annual report that provides comparative data on the efficiency, quality and independence of the judicial systems in the EU Member States.

The 2026 edition reflects an improved perception of the independence and efficiency of judicial systems. It also highlights the fundamental role of effective judicial systems and independent authorities in fostering a fair and competitive environment, and includes data on the main players in the Single Market. For the first time, the Scoreboard also includes an overview of the jurisdiction of the higher administrative courts and ordinary courts of the Member States in business matters.

The findings of this year’s Scoreboard will be incorporated into the Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report, including its Single Market dimension.

Key findings of the 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard

Independent Single Marketauthorities

For the first time, the Scoreboard provides information on the term of office of the bodies responsible for reviewing public procurement decisions. The results are positive, as they show that, in most Member States, the members and chairpersons of these bodies are appointed for a limited, renewable term. The 2026 edition also presents an updated overview of the process for appointing and dismissing national competition authorities and demonstrates that the executive branch plays an important role in almost all Member States.

Fight against corruption

The 2026 Scoreboard presents new and updated figures on the fight against corruption, such as the duration of legal proceedings in bribery cases. It also provides new figures on the functioning of national transparency registers, which help prevent corruption by ensuring transparency in lobbying activities. The Scoreboard shows that 16 Member States have such a register, and provides an overview of how they operate and which officials are subject to transparency requirements in their dealings with lobbyists. These tools are essential for good governance and accountability.

Digitisation of justice systems

Digitalisation continues to advance across the EU: all 27 Member States now provide online information on their judicial systems, whilst 23 allow online access to civil, commercial and administrative case files. The scoreboard also highlights areas where work still needs to be done, as only six Member States have procedural rules that are fully adapted to the digital format.

Efficiency and independence of the judiciary

The scoreboard shows that citizens in 17 Member States and businesses in 18 Member States perceive judicial independence to have improved or remained stable compared to the previous year. Many Member States continued to improve the efficiency of their justice systems, building on reforms introduced in recent years to ensure effective access to justice. As was the case last year, eight Member States recorded shorter proceedings across all categories (civil, commercial, administrative and other cases).

Access to justice

Most Member States use digital technology in their courts of first instance to facilitate access to justice for people with disabilities. Access to justice can also be improved through the involvement of other judicial authorities. This can alleviate the workload of the courts and contribute to a more efficient judicial system. This is illustrated in the 2026 Scoreboard, which for the first time presents the different types of authorities involved in divorce proceedings by mutual consent. All Member States now have specific provisions to make court proceedings more accessible to children and better suited to their needs.

Next steps

The results of the EU Justice Scoreboard contribute to the monitoring carried out under theAnnual Rule of Law Cycleand theEuropean Semester. They will serve as a basis for the Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report, as well as for the final stages of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans.

Background

Launched in 2013, theEU Justice Scoreboardserves as an analytical tool to monitor reforms relating to the efficiency, quality and independence of judicial systems in EU Member States. It forms part ofthe EU’s rule of law toolkit.

The 2026 edition responds to the demand for more detailed comparative data, including information on access to justice for children, the digitalisation of justice, probationary periods for judges and the powers of public prosecutors. The new Single Market indicators include the contribution of certain independent authorities to the proper functioning of the Single Market.

With a budget of around €305 million for the period 2021–2027, theJustice Programmesupports the development of the European area of justice based on the rule of law, including the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, mutual recognition and mutual trust, and on judicial cooperation.

In 2025, approximately €40.7 million was allocated to fund projects and other activities under the programme’s three specific objectives: (i) promoting judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters; (ii) training of legal practitioners in civil and criminal law and EU fundamental rights, the legal systems of the Member States and the rule of law; (iii) promoting access to justice (including e-justice); protecting the rights of victims and of persons suspected or accused of a crime; and supporting the development and use of digital tools and the maintenance and expansion of the e-justice portal.

More information: European Commission.