The Rule of Law Report (RoLR) is a crucial instrument of the European Union (EU), serving both as a diagnostic tool and a preventive mechanism to monitor the state of the rule of law across Member States. By assessing key areas, including the justice system, anti-corruption measures, media pluralism, and institutional checks and balances, the Report provides a comprehensive overview of the strengths and challenges within the rule of law area.
The starting point is that the rule of law is the basis on which the EU firmly stands, whereas in today’s world, “the international rules-based order, the respect for fundamental rights, and democratic systems are under increased pressure”.
A key element of this instrument is dialogue—both as a method of work and as a means of promoting a culture of open dialogue.
This year’s Rule of Law Report is the fifth such report for EU Member States and the second, in which the candidate countries Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia are included, with the possibility of including other candidate states “when they are ready”.
The importance of this Report for the candidate states increases with the strengthening of the Cluster “Fundamentals”, covering the rule of law and acting as a catalyst for the accession process.