DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 11 June 2024
EU Justice Scoreboard 2024 shows that perception of judicial independence has improved
Today, the European Commission has published the twelfth edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard, an annual overview providing comparative data on the efficiency, quality, and independence of justice systems among the EU Member States. Compared to last year, the public's perception of judicial independence has improved, also in countries that had experienced systemic challenges.
This year's Scoreboard includes several new figures on accessibility of justice, such as on the accessibility to justice professions for persons with disabilities; on the accessibility to justice for consumers when exercising representative actions protecting their collective interests; on the salaries of judicial and prosecutorial expert staff; and on the notaries and their powers in the succession procedures. The 2024 edition also includes, for the first time, specific new figures on the independence of justice, for example on the appointment of court presidents, on national frameworks regarding asset declarations, and on the dismissal of Prosecutors General.
Key findings of the 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard:
Next steps
The information contained in the EU Justice Scoreboard contributes to the monitoring carried out within the framework of the European Semester and the Annual Rule of Law Cycle — the findings will feed into the Commission's 2024 Rule of Law Report. The 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard has been further developed to address the need for additional comparative information (such as a new figure on the salaries of judicial and prosecutorial expert staff and on the procedure to dismiss Prosecutors General) identified during the preparation of the 2023 Rule of Law Report. The Scoreboard's data are also used for the monitoring of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans.
Background
Launched in 2013, the EU Justice Scoreboard is used by the Commission to monitor justice reforms in Member States and is one of the tools in the EU's Rule of Law toolbox. The Scoreboard focuses on the three main elements of an effective justice system:
As in previous editions, the 2024 edition presents data from two Eurobarometer surveys on how the public and companies perceive judicial independence in each Member State.
The findings of the 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard have been considered in the country-specific assessment carried out within the 2024 European Semester, as well as in the evaluation of the implementation of Member States' Recovery and Resilience Plans, and the annual Rule of Law report. In 2024, the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy — which sets out strategic guidance to mitigate the negative impacts of the energy shocks, foster sustainable growth, and increase the EU's resilience — reiterates the link between effective justice systems and an economy that works for people in Member States. Well-functioning and fully independent justice systems have a positive impact on investment decisions and on the willingness of all actors to launch investment projects.
Under the 2021-2027 Justice programme, the EU is making over €305 million available for the further development of a European area of justice. It will also help improve the effectiveness of national justice systems and strengthen the rule of law, democracy, and the protection of fundamental rights, including by ensuring effective access to justice for citizens and businesses. The programme funds activities, which cover training for judges and other legal practitioners, mutual learning, judicial cooperation, and awareness-raising.
More information
The 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard
The EU Justice Scoreboard factsheet
The 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard quantitative data factsheet
Questions and Answers
Flash Eurobarometer FL540. Perceived independence of the national justice systems in the EU among the general public
Flash Eurobarometer FL451. Perceived independence of the national justice systems in the EU among companies
CEPEJ Studies
2024 Rule of Law Report
Factsheet EU's rule of law toolbox
EU Justice Scoreboard website
Quote(s)
The latest EU Justice Scoreboard shows that our efforts to strengthen judicial independence across the EU are bearing fruit. By highlighting key areas for improvement and celebrating progress, we aim to foster trust in our legal institutions and ensure that justice is independent and accessible to all. Over the last twelve years, the Scoreboard has proven to be a reliable tool to keep stock of our progress and to identify areas of potential improvement across Member States, contributing to our efforts to further safeguard the rule of law and support the rights of citizens and businesses alike.
Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency
Commission secures access for Member States to 665,000 doses of zoonotic influenza vaccines to prevent avian flu
Today, the Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) as part of its mandate on preparedness, has signed on behalf of participating Member States, a joint procurement framework contract for the supply of up to 665,000 pre-pandemic vaccine doses of the up-to-date Zoonotic Influenza Vaccine Seqirus, as well as an option for a further 40 million doses over the duration of the contract. Thanks to this contract the participating Member States will have access to medical countermeasures to prevent avian flu.
The vaccine is intended for those most exposed to potential transfers of avian influenza from birds or animals, such as poultry farm workers and veterinarians. It aims to prevent the spread or potential outbreaks of avian influenza in Europe, protecting citizens and livelihoods. The vaccine is the only preventive zoonotic avian influenza vaccine currently authorized in the EU.
Fifteen EU and EEA Member States are participating in this voluntary procurement with the company Seqirus UK Ltd. The contract allows each participating country to take into account their public health context and order vaccines depending on national need. The contract will run for a maximum of 4 years.
Shipments are currently being prepared to Finland for immediate vaccinations of the workers at risk of exposure, at the Member State's request. Shipments to other participating countries will follow.
Seqirus UK Ltd has an EU wide modified marketing authorisation for this vaccine for use in adults, which protects against flu caused by H5 strains of the influenza A virus.
The EU's mechanism of joint procurement is laid down in the EU's Joint Procurement Agreement for Medical Countermeasures, which is signed by 36 countries, including all EU and EEA Member States. The mechanism allows the participating countries to jointly procure medical countermeasures on a voluntary and flexible basis. These countermeasures include vaccines, therapeutics, medical devices, and these can be used as an alternative or to complement to procurement at national level.
The Agreement secures a more equitable access to specific medical countermeasures and improves the security of supply, together with more balanced prices for the participating countries. The Agreement also contributes to the EU-level preparedness for public health crises or pandemics.
For more information
HERA website
EU Joint procurement
ECDC website
While the threat of avian influenza to the general population remains low, we need to protect people at higher risk, such as poultry and farm workers or certain veterinarians. Today we announce an agreement on behalf of participating countries to secure access to over 40 million doses of avian influenza vaccine. We are ready to take further action should the situation evolve in the future. Our European Health Union serves to protect people’s lives and livelihoods, and being prepared for health threats is at the core of our work.
Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety
Commission proposes to extend temporary protection for people fleeing Russian aggression against Ukraine until March 2026
Today, the Commission has proposed to extend the temporary protection for people fleeing Russia's aggression against Ukraine for another year, from 5 March 2025 to 4 March 2026.
Given continued Russian attacks on the civil and critical infrastructure across Ukraine, safe and durable conditions for the return of people to Ukraine are not currently in place. The Commission therefore considers that the reasons for temporary protection persist, and that it should be prolonged for another year as a necessary and appropriate response to the current situation.
The ultimate goal is to ensure that all those fleeing Russia's war of aggression can find protection in the EU, and that those almost 4.2 million people that are already benefiting from temporary protection in the EU Member States are provided with as much stability as possible under the current circumstances.
The Temporary Protection Directive grants immediate protection and access to rights in the EU, including residency rights, access to the labour market, accommodation, social welfare assistance, medical and other assistance. It also helps Member States to manage arrivals in an orderly and effective way.
The Commission will present the proposal to the Ministers at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 13 June. It is then for the Council to formally adopt the proposal.
The EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive on 4 March 2022 with a unanimous decision by Member States and it was automatically extended by one year and further extended for an additional year by the Council until 4 March 2025. Currently, almost 4.2 million people displaced from Ukraine enjoy temporary protection in the EU, among which one third are children.
The legal basis for the proposal is Article 4(2) of the Temporary Protection Directive, which provides that, where reasons for temporary protection persist, the Council, on a proposal from the Commission, can extend temporary protection by up to one year.
The EU Migration Preparedness and Crisis Blueprint Network with a focus on Ukraine and the Solidarity Platform Ukraine will continue their operations to provide a common situational awareness of the migratory implications of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, preparedness and a coordinated response to the crisis.
The Commission will continue to closely monitor the impact of future new arrivals on the reception capacity of Member States. Going forward it is important to continue working towards ensuring a greater balance of efforts among Member States.
The Commission's proposal for a Council Implementing Decision on extending temporary protection
Temporary protection for those fleeing Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: one year on
Solidarity with Ukraine
Welcoming people fleeing the war in Ukraine
As long as Ukrainians are in need of shelter from Putin’s bombs, the European Union will provide it: this is the one constant that emerges in all discussions with our 27 Member States. By extending temporary protection for the millions of Ukrainians in the EU by a further year, we are saying this again loud and clear.
Vice-President Margaritis Schinas
The EU stands united in protecting people fleeing Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine. Temporary protection has already given hope to almost 4.2 million people in the EU. We will continue to provide Ukrainian people with temporary protection for as long as it takes. I am confident that the Council will quickly take the decision to prolong temporary protection for an additional year.
Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for Home Affairs
Commission launches Destination Earth system in Finland to help climate change adaptation
Today, the Commission has activated the initial Destination Earth (DestinE) system in the presence of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager and the Finnish Minister for employment, Arto Satonen. DestinE is a flagship initiative of the Commission, aiming to develop a highly accurate digital twin of the Earth. Deployment of the DestinE system means that the Europe's High-performance computers (EuroHPC), including the LUMI supercomputer in Kajaani, Finland, have been tasked to simulate the effects of climate change and extreme weather events. Thanks to this initiative, Europe will be better prepared to respond to major natural disasters, adapt to climate change and assess the potential socioeconomic and policy impacts of such events.
DestinE is using unprecedented modelling capabilities thanks to EuroHPC computers and Artificial Intelligence capacity. The initiative also represents a key component of the European strategy for data by consolidating access to valuable sources of data across Europe. DestinE is now operational and it is expected to continuously evolve, extending operations and developing further components. By 2030, DestinE should complete a full digital replica of the Earth.
The main features of the initial system include:
DestinE was officially launched in 2022 by the European Commission, in partnership with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
The currently agreed funding through the Digital Europe programme is over € 315 million. The launch marks the end of the first phase and the start of the second phase, both funded with over € 150 million each. The third phase and its funding are subject to the agreement of the final Digital Europe programme 2025-2027, which is currently being drafted. Further funding for the research and development of additional digital twin capability was awarded through Horizon Europe.
For More Information
Destination Earth | Shaping Europe's digital future (europa.eu)
The launch of the initial Destination Earth (DestinE) is a true game changer in our fight against climate change. DestinE will provide us with a highly accurate twin of the Earth. It means that we can observe environmental challenges which can help us predict future scenarios – like we have never done before. This first phase shows how much we can achieve when Europe puts together its scientific excellence and its massive supercomputing power. Today, the future is literally at our fingertips.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age
CALENDAR
Calendrier du 10 juin au 16 juin 2024 (europa.eu)
Tuesday 11 June,
Ms Stella Kyriakides holds a videoconference call with representatives of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
Wednesday 12 June,
Ms Stella Kyriakides holds a videoconference call with Ms Vanessa Kerry, Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health for the World Health Organization (WHO); delivers remarks, via videoconference, at the Medicines for Europe 30th Annual Conference 2024; delivers, via videoconference, remarks at the Annual Congress of the European Society for Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care.
The European Commission is committed to personal data protection. Any personal data is processed in line with Regulation (EC) 2018/1725. All personal information processed by the Directorate-General for Communication / European Commission Representations is treated accordingly. If you do not work for a media organisation, you are welcome to contact the EU through Europe Direct in writing or by calling 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11.