Brussels, 2016-05-10

Civil and commercial disputes in Europe become increasingly shorter. This is the result of the fourth edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard 2016.

The development in the period of pending legal proceedings has improved in some EU Member States and is overall stable. Positive developments can also be recognized in the accessibility of judicial systems thanks to electronic filing of minor claims and the promotion of alternative dispute resolutions. Weaknesses, however, are noticed regarding the online availability of judgements or the electronic communication between courts and parties.

The Justice Scoreboard compares the efficiency, quality and independence of the Member States’ judicial systems and shows their developments in working methods. It’s not so much about the creation of a ranking but about granting an overview of all judicial systems. In doing so, all Member States are treated equally. Criteria for a more efficient justice are for example quick proceedings, independence, affordability and easy access.

Whereas most of the Member States have standards for similar aspects of their judicial systems, in content issues they partly differ strongly from each other. For example, less than half of all Member States have standards for activities to reduce existing residues. In even less states there is a determined maximum duration for the pendency of proceedings.

For the first time, the Justice Scoreboard also shows the results of surveys about how citizens and companies perceive the independence of justice. Based on the evaluation and by considering the EU Justice Scoreboard 2015, the European Council - following the Commission’s suggestion - has given specific recommendations to four Member States, in particular Croatia, Italy, Latvia and Slovenia - to increase the efficiency of their judicial systems.

Please find more information about the EU Justice Scoreboard 2016 here.