Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs – DRFMG 2026 Rule of Law Report – Commissioner McGrath
15 September 2026
Contents updated on 15 Sept 2026
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LIBE European Parliament
Follow its sittings04:54 - 07:11
Speaker 1
Good afternoon everybody. Glad to see you all for the presentation of the Commission 2026 Rule of Law Report. It's part of our annual exchange with the Commission on the Rule of Law Report and we are pleased to welcome Commissioner McGrath today for the presentation of the 26th edition. As you know, this could not take place on the 15th July because the publication of the report was postponed just a few days, but with our way of working, it can have impact.
It is for all of you and for me as well an important opportunity to take stock of the development of the rule of law across Member States and importantly on the follow-up of the recommendation identified in previous editions. So we are particularly interested this year in hearing Commission assessment on the main development and challenges identified in the 2026 report, as well as understanding how the Commission intends to address persistent shortcomings and ensure that the recommendation leads to concrete progress to the Member States because at the end of the day, that's why it's made for. We also would welcome some reflections on the broader developments on the rule of law cycle, including the Commission cooperation with Parliament and other stakeholders and how the report can continue to serve as an effective tool to prevent and address rule of law backsliding, including in connection with the next MFF. So we will have or we are having active and passive interpretation in English, French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, and today's meeting will last until 5:15. We have not a lot of time.
So, I will give you immediately the floor to give some time to the MEPs to talk later. Thank you.
07:11 - 12:02
Speaker 2
Yes, thank you very much, Chair, and thank you, honorable members, for being here this afternoon and for the invitation to present the 2026 Rule of Law Report to you all today. The rule of law is the foundation of the EU and serves as the bedrock of democracy and respect for fundamental rights across our Union. This is why upholding and safeguarding the rule of law is a priority for the Commission, as I know it is for you. Adopted in July, this year's report takes stock of the rule of law situation in each individual Member State and the EU as a whole. As the President stated during her 2025 State of the Union address, we need an integrated annual cycle on the rule of law, a common rhythm, clear milestones, and contributions from all institutions.
And so I'm grateful for the support of the Parliament. You have contributed with important reflections and suggestions on how to make our collective efforts to protect and promote the rule of law more effective. I would particularly like to thank the rapporteur, Hervantus, for the Parliament's own-initiative report on the 2025 Rule of Law Report that was adopted at the April plenary.
The fact that the Parliament's report was adopted earlier this year allowed us to take a better to better take its content into account in our preparations and to work towards building a more integrated annual cycle. The Rule of Law Report, now in its seventh edition, is one of the primary tools the Commission has in its rule of law toolbox to uphold and safeguard the rule of law across our Union. The report presents significant national developments based on a transparent and objective methodology developed in dialogue with the Member States. Over the years, the report has contributed to tangible progress in the Member States by supporting targeted reforms, increasing accountability, and ultimately building more resilient institutions. This year, for the first time, the Commission services organized in-person country visits to many Member States to allow them to gain a better understanding of what is happening on the ground.
I myself visited many Member States, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Portugal, Latvia, Malta, and Spain, for example, and discussed the implementation of the recommendations of the last Rule of Law Report with national parliaments, authorities, and a broad range of stakeholders.
So in preparing this year's report, we received and analyzed over 280 stakeholder contributions. The Commission services held over 600 meetings across all Member States and enlargement countries, and these meetings involved over 900 national authorities, ministries, courts, independent bodies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders. As always, the essential principles leading this exercise were objectivity, proportionality and equal treatment. As regards the scope of the report, the single market dimension once again features prominently. This underscores the importance of the rule of law for the EU's competitiveness and for maintaining a level playing field in the single market, fostering a stable and a reliable business environment.
The single market also relies on effective justice systems, strong anti-corruption frameworks and sound lawmaking, all components of the rule of law. In line with a request of the European Parliament, this year the Commission has further consolidated the report's recommendations to Member States, making them more targeted and operational.
And the Commission fully agrees with the Parliament on the importance of ensuring a continuous dialogue with a variety of actors, including civil society. Based on this shared priority, I had the pleasure to co-host the inaugural Civil Dialogue Forum earlier in June alongside the European Parliament Vice-Presidents Barley and Stefanuță to foster structured dialogue, cooperation and to promote civic engagement. Let me also underline in this context that the Commission adopted the EU's first civil society strategy at the end of last year, reflecting the importance of civil society actors for the rule of law and democracy in Europe. Turning now to its findings, this year's report confirms that developments in the EU point to a broadly positive trajectory, with marked improvements and important reforms completed or underway in all the four pillars monitored. Nonetheless, the picture remains uneven across Member States and policy areas, with challenges persisting in certain cases.
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