The European Commission published last week the 2026 edition of the Rule of Law Report. For Romania, the conclusion is simple: The problems highlighted in recent years continue, some have even worsened, and the Commission’s tone is visibly more critical.
In previous years, CRPE explained that the language used in the EC report did not always reflect the seriousness of the problems facing the rule of law in Romania. In this year’s edition, we would argue, the Commission describes much more directly a series of shortcomings that organisations and citizens concerned about the rule of law have been pointing out for years. Some, however, remain partially addressed.
Although the report does not contain any spectacular information, it confirms that the expected reforms are being delayed, many of the recommendations made in previous years remain unimplemented, and the fight against corruption continues to be undermined by the lack of results. The judiciary has completely failed to demonstrate that it can effectively sanction corruption, especially when corruption involves members of the judiciary itself.
Or, to put it somewhat figuratively, we could say that the fight against anti-corruption continues to be a priority.
Corruption cases continue to be closed
The Commission notes that the effectiveness of the fight against corruption continues to be affected by the large number of cases that are dismissed or closed as a result of the statute of limitations expiring.
“The closing of corruption cases, including high level ones, and the release of defendants due to the statute of limitations, has continued, negatively affecting the perception by the public of the judiciary’s ability to effectively fight corruption.” (page 11)
No progress in tackling corruption within the judiciary
The recommendation made by the Commission in previous years concerning the adoption of effective measures to investigate and sanction acts of corruption within the judiciary remains unimplemented. For the first time, the report explicitly states that no progress has been made whatsoever.
“No further progress has been made on the recommendation to take measures to ensure effective investigation and prosecution of corruption offences within the judiciary.” (page 11)
Pressure on civil society
The report highlights the targeted attacks against civil society and new legislative initiatives imposing additional obligations on non-governmental organisations, including the disclosure of donors’ identities. Such measures may have a chilling effect on freedom of association and on the activities of civil society.
Political party financing remains insufficiently transparent
The report finds that no progress has been made in this area either. Unfortunately, this is not a surprising conclusion. For years, our colleagues at Expert Forum, along with numerous journalistic investigations, including those published by Snoop.ro, have documented the lack of transparency surrounding political party financing and the use of public funds.
Some of the Commission’s conclusions remain excessively optimistic
There are, however, also areas where the Commission’s assessment appears too lenient.
For example, the report notes that “some progress has been made” (page 13) regarding the effectiveness of the asset declaration system. This conclusion is difficult to reconcile with the reality created following the Constitutional Court’s decision, which removed the public nature of asset declarations and significantly reduced the transparency of this mechanism. To this day, the authorities have not proposed a solution to restore transparency, while public statements made in recent months indicate that there is no intention to do so. Similarly, the assessment of the activity of the National Integrity Agency appears to overlook the institution’s diminished effective role in recent years.