Skip to content
REPORT (2025/2239(INI))

On the Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law report

A-10-2026-0091

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs · Rapporteur: Konstantinos Arvanitis

Official HTML ↗ PDF DOCX
✦ In shortFull textProcedure & committee votes
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

This resolution responds to the Commission's 2025 Rule of Law report, covering justice systems, anti-corruption, media freedom, civil society, fundamental rights, the EU budget, the single market, enlargement, and the reporting process. It calls for stronger enforcement of rule-of-law standards, including through infringement procedures, budget conditionality, and better monitoring of Member States and EU institutions. It demands that the Commission improve its reporting methodology, issue more operational recommendations, and ensure equal treatment across Member States. It urges the Council to make its rule-of-law dialogue and Article 7 procedures more transparent and outcome-oriented, and calls for an interinstitutional agreement on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights.

Committee position. The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, through rapporteur Konstantinos Arvanitis, proposes a resolution that calls for stronger enforcement of rule-of-law standards, improved Commission reporting, and protection of fundamental rights.

Key points

  1. Calls on Member States, candidate and potential candidate countries to ensure independent, efficient and impartial judicial systems and access to free legal aid.
  2. Condemns political interference in judicial appointments and prosecutions, and calls for safeguards such as transparent appointment procedures and independent disciplinary bodies.
  3. Calls for prompt implementation of CJEU and ECtHR judgments, and for a monitoring unit and public scoreboard to track implementation.
  4. Urges the Commission to use enforcement tools, including infringement proceedings and budget conditionality, in cases of persistent non-implementation.
  5. Calls for addressing prison conditions as a rule-of-law concern, including overcrowding and healthcare access.
  6. Urges swift conclusion of EU membership in GRECO and full implementation of its recommendations.
  7. Calls for strengthening anti-corruption measures, including preventive frameworks, protection of whistleblowers, and investigation of high-level corruption cases.
  8. Condemns surveillance of journalists and calls for safeguards against spyware and AI-based surveillance, including judicial authorisation.
  9. Calls for full implementation of the European Media Freedom Act and Anti-SLAPP Directive, and for measures to protect media pluralism and journalists.
  10. Urges protection of civil society space, including freedom of assembly and association, and calls for monitoring of shrinking civic space in rule of law reports.
  11. Calls for protection of fundamental rights, including LGBTIQ+ rights, and for action against discrimination, hate speech and hate crime.
  12. Calls for strengthening the link between rule of law and EU funds, including consistent application of the Conditionality Regulation and clear criteria for budget measures.

Who is affected

  • Member States, candidate and potential candidate countries: must implement judicial, anti-corruption and media reforms.
  • EU institutions, including the Commission and Council: must improve reporting, enforcement and transparency.
  • Journalists and media professionals: benefit from calls for protection against surveillance and SLAPPs.
  • Civil society organisations and human rights defenders: receive calls for protection and funding.
  • LGBTIQ+ persons and minorities: targeted by calls for non-discrimination and legal recognition.

Figures and deadlines

  • 69% of surveyed consider corruption widespread in their country; 51% in political parties.
  • 650 leading ECtHR judgments pending full implementation as of 1 January 2025.
  • 93% of 2025 recommendations are repetitions; only 6% fully implemented.
  • 61% of recommendations assessed in 2025 showed little or no progress since 2022.

Legal basis: Articles 2, 3(1), 3(3), 4(3), 5, 6, 7, 11, 19 and 49 TEU; Articles 70, 258, 259, 260, 263, 265 and 267 TFEU.