The European Commission, in a staff working document dated 17 July 2026, assesses Denmark's rule of law situation as robust in judicial independence and anti-corruption but notes no progress on key integrity recommendations for ministers, lobbying, and asset declarations. The report, part of the annual Rule of Law cycle, covers developments up to mid-2026 and highlights persistent gaps despite strong fundamentals.
The document, published by the Commission's Secretariat-General, finds that 88% of the general public and 87% of companies rate judicial independence as 'fairly or very good' in 2026, up from 81% and 82% in 2025. Justice system funding has received approximately EUR 308 million (DKK 2.3 billion) under a 2024-2027 multi-year agreement, with 28 of 30 new judges placed and 40 deputy judges appointed. However, a review of legal aid by the Judicial Council, due by summer 2026, shows limited progress, and a court inquiry committee is to report on organisation and structure by early 2027. Digitalisation efforts continue with a multi-year IT project for criminal and probate cases expected to finish by end of 2026. Case handling improved, with average time for litigious civil and commercial cases falling from 265 days in 2023 to 250 in 2024, and clearance rate rising to 99%.
On anti-corruption, Denmark scores 89 out of 100 (1st globally) in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, and only 25% of citizens see corruption as widespread, compared to an EU average of 71%. A foreign bribery strategy is to be adopted in 2027, and a new police budget (2026-2030) provides over EUR 130 million for economic crime. However, the report finds no progress on rules for 'revolving doors' for ministers, lobbying transparency, or asset declaration controls, with no plans to introduce them. New rules banning donations from abroad to political parties have been adopted, but broader reform of private funding remains incomplete. Authorities consider whistleblowing rules implementation accomplished and plan no further actions.
In the media sector, a new Media Ombudsman has been agreed, Danmarks Radio's board moves to a competence-based model, and reform of the Access to Public Administration Files Act is ongoing. The report concludes that Denmark maintains strong rule of law fundamentals but faces persistent gaps on integrity rules, with no plans to address them. The Commission's findings will feed into the broader 2026 Rule of Law Report covering all member states, which will be discussed by the Council and the European Parliament in the coming months.