#EUJusticeScoreboard2019 - Results show continuing need to protect judicial independence

The European Commission has published the 2019 EU Justice Scoreboard, which gives a comparative overview of the independence, quality and efficiency of justice systems in EU member states. It provides national authorities with information to help them improve their justice systems.

The results are mixed and show relative improvements with regard to the efficiency of justice systems and the quality of justice. At the same time, the Scoreboard shows there are growing challenges with regard to the perception of judicial independence.

Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Commissioner Věra Jourová said: “The 2019 EU Justice Scoreboard comes at a time when challenges to the rule of law are mounting in some places in Europe. I am pleased to see that many countries continue to improve their judiciary. Sadly, some others are reversing the positive trends. There are still too many EU citizens who don't see their justice systems as independent and who are waiting too long for justice to be served.”

Since 2013, the Justice Scoreboard analyses three main elements of an effective justice system: efficiency, quality and independence. The EU Justice Scoreboard is one of the tools in the EU's rule of law toolbox used by the Commission to monitor justice reforms undertaken by Member States and feeds into the European Semester. The Commission is also publishing today the results of two EU-wide surveys on the perception of judicial independence by the general public and by businesses. These results are taken into account in this edition of the Scoreboard. The full report is available online, as well as a press release and a Q&A.

You can follow Commissioner Jourová's press conference online here.

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