The European Commission has published its seventh annual Rule of Law Report. The 2026 Rule of Law Report examines developments across all Member States, both positive and negative, in four key areas for the rule of law: the justice system, the anti-corruption framework, media pluralism and freedom, and other institutional issues related to checks and balances.

As it did in previous years, the Report does not only cover 27 Member States but also includes four country chapters dedicated to developments in Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Since 2022, the Report includes concrete recommendations to all Member States. The analysis in the 2026 Report therefore also contains a qualitative assessment of the progress made by the Member States towards implementing the previous years’ recommendations.