Overview

• The EU’s annual rule-of-law report identifies four critical issues: weakened judicial independence, compromised prosecutorial autonomy, a politically driven amnesty law and stalled anti-corruption efforts.
• Brussels praised the renewal of the Consejo General del Poder Judicial but condemned its politicized appointment process and urged compliance with Venice Commission guidelines.
• The Commission highlighted four pending referrals at the EU Court of Justice that challenge Spain’s amnesty law as serving political agreements over public interest.
• Spanish judicial associations have formally petitioned EU authorities to contest government actions appointing 1,000 judges without competitive exams and expanding executive influence over prosecutions.
• Key anti-corruption units, including the Policía’s economic crime division and the Guardia Civil’s UCO, remain understaffed, undermining enforcement against high-risk corruption sectors.