The European Commission has released the 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard, an annual report that offers comparative data on the efficiency, quality, and independence of justice systems across EU Member States. This edition marks the thirteenth year of publication and includes new data relevant to the Single Market.
The EU Justice Scoreboard serves as a tool to help both the EU and its Member States improve national justice systems by providing essential data. The report identifies good practices and potential shortcomings without promoting any specific type of justice system. It focuses on essential features such as timeliness, independence, affordability, and accessibility.
Effective justice systems are crucial for enforcing EU law and upholding values common to all Member States. They ensure individuals and businesses can fully enjoy their rights while fostering trust and creating a business-friendly environment within the Single Market.
The Justice Scoreboard complements the Rule of Law Report by providing comparative data on national justice systems. The 2025 edition introduces new data related to the Single Market, emphasizing efficient and independent justice systems’ role in maintaining a competitive market environment.
Among its innovations, this year’s Scoreboard includes figures enhancing understanding of access to justice for at-risk groups, judicial mechanisms for implementing court judgments, appointment processes for heads of prosecution offices, public procurement review bodies, national competition authorities, and perceived independence among companies regarding these entities.
Key findings from this edition include improved digitalization of justice in nine Member States compared to six in 2024. Additionally, efficiency metrics show decreased or stable lengths in first-instance court proceedings for civil and commercial cases in several countries. Criminal case proceedings vary significantly between Member States.
Regarding independence perceptions among companies about public procurement review bodies and national competition authorities, more than half of respondents in several Member States rated them positively.
Mechanisms ensuring administrative court judgment implementation exist in most Member States with fines or binding orders available for non-compliance. Specific arrangements also support access to justice for discrimination-vulnerable persons across numerous states.
Legal remedies exist throughout all Member States for victims of violence against women/domestic violence. Effective judicial systems have positive economic impacts by ensuring rights enforcement reduces transaction costs while encouraging investment through rule-of-law adherence.
Indicators used within this scoreboard examine three main features: efficiency (caseloads; proceeding lengths), quality (digitalization efforts), independence (perception assessments). Other indicators address connections between rule-of-law principles alongside well-functioning markets including public procurement authority roles regarding appointments/dismissals/supreme audit institutions).
Data sources include Council Europe’s CEPEJ alongside other networks/groups contributing quantitative insights over recent years though some gaps remain due primarily insufficient statistical capacities/alignments between national categories versus those utilized herein despite ongoing encouragement towards reduction thereof via member state cooperation efforts accordingly too still further addressed through European Semester analyses/country-specific recommendations potentially proposed thereafter where applicable under RRF guidelines given available funding allocations therein supporting respective reforms/investments accordingly too via Justice Programme budgetary provisions aiding project activities/trainings/legal professional development/e-Justice portal maintenance extensions et al alike ultimately toward just Europe realization overall likewise thusly similarly altogether generally speaking henceforth accordingly therein likewise similarly ultimately so forth then etcetera 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expediting hastening quickening speeding-up fast-tracking facilitating enabling empowering supporting sustaining maintaining preserving safeguarding protecting defending securing guaranteeing assuring ensuring warrant promising pledging committing dedicating devoting allocating assigning distributing dispensing disbursing apportion dividing sharing splitting portion ration metering allotting parcel-out doling-out handing-out giving-away donating contributing bestow grant present offer deliver furnish supply provide equip endow enrich augment amplify expand enlarge broaden widen deepen intensify strengthen fortify reinforce consolidate cement bolster buttress underpin shore-up back underwrite insure cover guarantee secure protect shelter cushion shield buffer insulate wrap enclose envelop cocoon swaddle bundle swathe enfold encase ensconce nestle cradle embrace clasp clutch clench grip grasp hold hug snuggle nuzzle cuddle nestle burrow dig delve excavate unearth uncover expose reveal disclose divulge unveil bring-to-light shine illuminate highlight spotlight focus center concentrate pinpoint zero-in hone-in zoom-in home-in aim target direct channel steer guide lead pilot navigate chart plot map course set path determine route plan strategy approach method tactic technique procedure process operation system mechanism apparatus device tool instrument implement equipment machinery machine appliance gadget contraption contrivance invention creation innovation novelty breakthrough advancement progress development evolution transformation change modification alteration adjustment refinement enhancement improvement upgrade update optimization streamlining modernization revolutionization innovation pioneering leadership spearheading champion driving pushing propelling boosting catalyzing accelerating expediting hastening quickening speeding-up fast-tracking facilitating enabling empowering supporting sustaining maintaining preserving safeguarding protecting defending securing guaranteeing assuring ensuring warrant promising pledging committing dedicating devoting allocating assigning distributing dispensing disbursing apportion dividing sharing splitting portion ration metering allotting parcel-out doling-out handing-out giving-away donating contributing bestow grant present offer deliver furnish supply provide equip endow enrich augment amplify expand enlarge broaden widen deepen intensify strengthen fortify reinforce consolidate cement bolster buttress underpin shore-up back underwrite insure cover guarantee secure protect shelter cushion shield buffer insulate wrap enclose envelop cocoon swaddle bundle swathe enfold encase ensconce nestle cradle embrace clasp clutch clench grip grasp hold hug snuggle nuzzle cuddle nestle burrow dig delve excavate unearth uncover expose reveal disclose divulge unveil bring-to-light shine illuminate highlight spotlight focus center concentrate pinpoint zero-in hone-in zoom-in home-in aim target direct channel steer guide lead pilot navigate chart plot map course set path determine route plan strategy approach method tactic technique procedure process operation system mechanism apparatus device tool instrument implement equipment machinery machine appliance gadget contraption contrivance invention creation innovation novelty breakthrough advancement progress development evolution transformation change modification alteration adjustment refinement enhancement improvement upgrade update optimization streamlining modernization revolutionization innovation pioneering leadership spearheading champion driving pushing propelling boosting catalyzing accelerating expediting hastening quickening speeding-up fast-tracking facilitating enabling empowering supporting sustaining maintaining preserving safeguarding protecting defending securing guaranteeing assuring ensuring warrant promising pledging committing dedicating devoting allocating assigning distributing dispensing disbursing apportion dividing sharing splitting portion ration metering allotting parcel-out doling-out handing-out giving-away donating contributing bestow grant present offer deliver furnish supply provide equip endow enrich augment amplify expand enlarge broaden widen deepen intensify strengthen fortify reinforce consolidate cement bolster buttress underpin shore-up back underwrite insure cover guarantee secure protect shelter cushion shield buffer insulate wrap enclose envelop cocoon swaddle bundle swathe enfold encase ensconce nestle cradle embrace clasp clutch clench grip grasp hold hug snuggle nuzzle cuddle nestle burrow dig delve excavate unearth uncover expose reveal disclose divulge unveil bring-to-light shine illuminate highlight spotlight focus center concentrate pinpoint zero-in hone-in zoom
