The European Commission, in its 2026 Rule of Law Report on Italy published on 17 July 2026, assesses progress on justice system efficiency, anti-corruption, media freedom, and institutional checks and balances, while issuing several recommendations for further action. The report notes that a constitutional reform to separate judges' and prosecutors' careers was rejected by voters in a referendum on 22-23 March 2026. A new national anti-corruption strategy was adopted for 2026-2028, and a draft law on lobbying was adopted in the Chamber and is being assessed in the Senate. The Commission recommends that Italy systematically regulate conflicts of interest, adopt comprehensive lobbying rules with an operational register, address channelling donations via political foundations, take forward defamation reform, and establish a National Human Rights Institution.
The report highlights progress in judicial digitalisation, with the first-instance criminal trial workflow now fully digitalised, and recommends completing the digital case management system in all instances. The Government launched competitions for permanent recruitment of 9,368 court clerks, and 173 professional tax judges began training in May 2026. The 2025 'security law' is being implemented, and a new emergency decree on internal security was converted into law, with stakeholders raising concerns about civic space. The report's recommendations aim to strengthen the rule of law framework in Italy, impacting national authorities, the judiciary, civil society, and political actors. The European Parliament and the Council are expected to discuss the findings in the coming months.