The European Commission’s annual Rule of Law report finds that EU countries carried out just 47 per cent of the recommendations it issued for 2025 — a decline that Brussels says marks the slowest uptake since 2022 and raises fresh questions about the bloc’s capacity to keep member states to shared standards on corruption, judicial independence and media freedom.
Downward trend after earlier gains
The new report, published on Friday, covers national justice systems, media plurality and checks on executive power across all EU member states and some candidate countries. Commission figures cited in the report show a fall from 57 per cent implementation in 2024; earlier rates were 68 per cent in 2022 and 65 per cent in 2023. The Commission described the overall trajectory as “broadly positive” but urged caution, saying the pace of change has slowed for a second consecutive year.
Commission officials defend the process
Brussels pushed back on suggestions that the exercise is losing value, noting that reform timetables are often shaped by electoral cycles and complex parliamentary procedures that can delay action.
“Bear in mind that this is the seventh annual Rule of Law report,” the EU’s justice chief, Michael McGrath, said at a press conference in Brussels. “It stands to reason that some of the perhaps easier recommendations have been implemented in recent years.”
Henna Virkkunen, the Commission’s vice‑president for democracy, similarly rejected criticism of the exercise’s pace, calling 47 per cent “quite a speedy process” in response to questions from reporters.
Country examples and specific shortcomings
The report highlights a mixed picture across member states. Brussels flagged particularly worrying developments in Slovakia, saying that police detected no new high‑level corruption cases in 2025 and that the country’s capacity to bring such investigations forward had “further deteriorated.” That assessment comes amid a public dispute between Slovakia’s prosecutor general and its government over rule‑of‑law concerns.
Spain also drew criticism: the Commission said ongoing delays were impeding progress on high‑level corruption cases and judged only “some progress” had been made. The country has recently been shaken by several corruption probes linked to political figures.
By contrast, the report welcomed a rapid reform push in Hungary following the recent election of a new government. Michael McGrath told reporters that the Hungarian authorities had acted quickly and that “a lot has been done already.” The Commission has also indicated that rapid progress could unlock access to previously frozen EU funds, a lever Brussels has used in recent years to encourage compliance.
What the numbers mean
The declining implementation rate underscores several institutional realities:
- Reforms recommended by Brussels often require lengthy domestic procedures to enact.
- Political cycles can pause or reverse momentum for change.
- Some of the easier or more technical recommendations have already been adopted, leaving tougher, politically sensitive items outstanding.
| Year | Implementation rate |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 68% |
| 2023 | 65% |
| 2024 | 57% |
| 2025 | 47% |
The Commission’s report is both a diagnostic tool and a political instrument. It aims to identify weaknesses in judicial systems and public administration, but its recommendations depend on national governments to translate them into law and practice. That dynamic shapes Brussels’ options when it considers conditionality on funding or when it weighs infringement procedures.
For Ottawa and other international capitals, the report is a reminder that European political cohesion on democratic norms cannot be taken for granted. The slowing pace of implementation will be watched closely by member states and partners concerned with the EU’s internal resilience and its credibility as a promoter of rule‑based governance abroad.
As Brussels prepares follow‑up engagements with national governments, the central question remains whether the Commission’s blend of monitoring, persuasion and financial conditionality will be sufficient to reverse the recent deceleration in reform efforts.
