The European Commission, in its 2026 Rule of Law Report country chapter on Estonia published on 17 July 2026, finds limited progress on judicial independence reform, stable anti-corruption efforts, and challenges in media plurality and public consultation.
The report highlights that the Council for the Administration of Courts reform, adopted on 17 June 2026, does not meet European standards due to its composition of 11 members including five peer-elected judges and at least two active politicians, and recommends adapting it. A new draft Courts Act, tabled on 19 March 2026, abandons merging same-tier courts, proposes a Court Presidium in each court, and increases court fees in civil proceedings by up to 50%. Judges' salary indexation remains frozen, with court challenges pending before the Circuit Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court's Constitutional Review Chamber. On the positive side, a virtual AI assistant was added to the court's digital case file at the end of 2025. The new anti-corruption strategic framework is expected by the end of 2026, and a comprehensive revision of the Anti-Corruption Act is planned over four years. However, Estonia has not detected, investigated, or prosecuted a foreign bribery case since 2014. The regulator for audiovisual media services operates independently, but no law on media market concentration exists. The Strategic partnership funding programme for civil society organisations entered into force.
national authorities face pressure to reform the judicial council and address salary disputes; judges and court staff are directly affected by frozen salaries and increased court fees; media and civil society organisations benefit from independent regulation and funding but lack legal safeguards against media concentration; and EU institutions will monitor Estonia's progress in the annual rule of law cycle. The Commission's recommendations are non-binding but feed into the broader EU Rule of Law Mechanism, with the Council expected to discuss the country chapters later in 2026.