The European Commission has published the 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard, an annual report comparing the efficiency, quality and independence of justice systems across the bloc.
The latest edition shows an improved perception of the independence and efficiency of justice systems, the Commission declared in a statement on Thursday.
The Scoreboard includes new material on the Single Market — the EU’s system of rules designed to allow goods, services, capital and people to move more freely between member states — including, for the first time, an overview of what member states’ highest administrative courts and ordinary courts handle in business-related cases.
New information is also included on bodies that review public procurement disputes, which are challenges to public-sector tender decisions, according to the Commission.
It said most member states appoint members and presidents of these review bodies for a limited and renewable term.
The report also updates its overview of how national competition authorities are appointed and dismissed, with the executive playing an important role in nearly all member states.
Digital justice and anti-corruption measures
All 27 member states now provide online information on their judicial systems, while 23 allow online access to civil, commercial and administrative cases, the Commission said.
Only six member states have fully “digital-ready” procedural rules — meaning court procedures can be carried out end-to-end in digital form.
On anti-corruption, the Scoreboard includes new and updated figures such as the length of judicial proceedings in bribery cases, and new data on national transparency registers, which record lobbying activity to support openness around interactions with public officials.
It reported that 16 member states have a transparency register in place.
Public perception indicators in the report found citizens in 17 member states and companies in 18 member states saw judicial independence as improved or stable compared with last year.
The findings will feed into the Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report, including its Single Market dimension.
