The Rule of Law Clinic at the CEU Democracy Institute and the European Policy Centre (Connecting Europe project) are pleased to invite you to the upcoming event “The rule of law beyond the EU Member States: Assessing the Union’s performance 2026”. 

The rule of law is critical to democracy and the functioning of the European Union. Deteriorating standards in several EU member states threaten corruption and fair elections and erode mutual trust between EU member states. While EU institutions are responsible for safeguarding the rule of law, the European Commission’s Annual Rule of Law Reports fail to assess the EU’s own rule of law performance. 

To address this gap, the Rule of Law Clinic at the Central European University Democracy Institute in Budapest has produced the third edition of the Shadow Rule of Law Report, which evaluates the rule of law within the EU. The report discusses recent developments in access to the court in the EU, main issues in the anti-corruption framework, and significant problems in the single market dimension of the rule of law at the EU level. The report also examines how geopolitical factors influence the enforcement of the rule of law by EU institutions, as well as the enforcement of the EU’s own laws. 

This hybrid Policy Dialogue, co-organised by Connecting Europe and the Rule of Law Clinic at the CEU Democracy Institute, will present the main findings of the report and discuss the major rule of law challenges facing the EU with EU decision-makers, civil society and academia. Readers wishing to explore the earlier work are welcome to consult the 2024 Report and 2025 Report editions of the Shadow Rule of Law Report.