The Council of the European Union has published a Commission staff working document dated 22 July 2026, assessing Bulgaria's rule of law situation. The report finds that while Bulgaria made some progress on anti-corruption and judicial accountability, key reforms remain unfulfilled, including changes to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) composition and addressing long-term judicial secondments.
The document, part of the Commission's 2026 Rule of Law Report, notes that a new ad hoc prosecutor for investigating the Prosecutor General was appointed on 22 December 2025, and Parliament adopted amendments on 29 May 2026 to improve the accountability mechanism, including automatic judicial review of prosecutorial decisions for corruption-related crimes. However, no progress was made on reforming the SJC composition, with the process not re-initiated despite a July 2025 legal deadline. The long-term secondment of judges to fill vacancies continues without legislative changes.
On anti-corruption, a new Anti-Corruption Commission was re-established with stronger independence guarantees, but a robust track record of high-level corruption cases is still lacking. Legislative reforms on state advertising transparency advanced, and the Inspectorate to the SJC reform was adopted, fully implementing the 2025 recommendation. Concerns persist over media independence, political influence, and attacks on journalists; a new Director-General was appointed to Bulgarian National Television after years of delay.
The report's findings impact several stakeholders. Bulgarian citizens and civil society face continued risks from insufficient judicial independence and corruption, while the government is under pressure to implement reforms to meet EU rule of law standards. The European Commission and other EU institutions will monitor progress, with potential implications for Bulgaria's access to EU funds. Media professionals and journalists remain vulnerable to political influence and attacks, despite some institutional changes.
Institutional follow-up is expected as the Commission and Council will continue to assess Bulgaria's compliance with rule of law recommendations, potentially leading to further recommendations or corrective measures under the Rule of Law Mechanism.