The European Commission published its 2026 Rule of Law Report on 17 July 2026, assessing the rule of law situation in all EU Member States and four enlargement countries, and linking reforms to EU budget support under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The report includes 27 country-specific chapters and accompanying staff working documents, and finds that 47% of recommendations from the 2025 report have been fully or partially implemented. Over 600 meetings were held to prepare this year's assessment.
The report consolidates the annual rule of law cycle with more targeted recommendations and strengthens the link between rule of law reforms and EU financial support. The Commission's MFF proposal for 2028-34 introduces National and Regional Partnership Plans that tie funding to rule of law recommendations. The new AgoraEU programme, with a proposed budget of around EUR 8.6 billion, would support culture, media, rights, values, and rule of law, while the proposed Justice Programme budget would more than triple. Twenty-one Member States have included rule of law commitments in their Recovery and Resilience Plans, worth over EUR 3 billion, covering around 285 milestones and targets, 75 reforms, and 36 investments. These RRP reforms must be implemented by 31 August 2026, with all payments by 31 December 2026; Member States have until 30 September 2026 to submit remaining payment requests, and the Commission will provide preliminary assessments by 20 November 2026.
The report also monitors media freedom, anti-corruption, and justice system reforms. The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) has been largely applicable since 8 August 2025, and the Commission launched its first enforcement actions in December 2025. The anti-SLAPP Directive establishes minimum procedural safeguards against abusive lawsuits targeting journalists and human rights defenders in cross-border civil proceedings. The General Affairs Council held rule of law discussions in September 2025, November 2025, January 2026, and May 2026, with ministers from Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia participating in the September 2025 meeting. The Justice Council discussed political participation and lawyers' independence in October 2025 and March 2026. National rule of law dialogues were held in Czechia (November 2025) and Croatia (January 2026).
The report covers all 27 EU Member States and, for the first time, includes Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia in the assessment. The Commission will continue to monitor implementation of recommendations and may use conditionality mechanisms to link EU funds to rule of law compliance. The next steps include discussions in the Council and European Parliament, with the General Affairs Council expected to hold further debates in the autumn.