Romania recorded significant progress in implementing rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in 2025, closing more cases than any other country, according to a new report by the Council of Europe. However, it continues to rank among the states with the highest number of pending cases.

Romania closed 146 cases in 2025, the highest number among Council of Europe member states, including 31 leading cases that typically require legislative or systemic changes, the report revealed. The country also recorded the largest drop in pending cases, with 124 fewer total cases and 27 fewer leading cases awaiting implementation.

However, Romania still had 287 cases pending at the end of 2025, placing it among the countries with the largest backlogs, alongside Ukraine (904), Türkiye (445), Azerbaijan (397), and Italy (318). It also ranked among the top five for both leading cases pending (84) and repetitive cases (203).

Across Europe, the Committee of Ministers, which oversees the implementation of ECHR judgments, closed 949 cases in 2025, a 6.2% increase compared to the previous year. Of these, 194 were leading cases, reflecting broader reforms in national legal systems.

“In 2025, the Committee closed nearly 1,000 cases, including nearly 200 leading cases that led to more general positive changes in the member states. This is more than a statistic: it represents justice delivered and is a powerful sign of the system’s vitality and relevance,” said the Council of Europe’s Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Gianluca Esposito.

The report specifically highlighted positive developments in Ukraine, which led to the closure of 97 cases, including 11 leading cases, in 2025, despite the difficult circumstances caused by Russia’s ongoing war of aggression.

Moreover, the report also gave Romania as a positive example in terms of improving its capacity to implement court rulings, particularly as the overall number of complex and long-standing cases continues to grow across Europe.

However, challenges remain at the European level, including more than 500 leading cases that have been pending for over five years, and the increasing complexity of new cases. The situation is further complicated by the lack of cooperation from Russia, which was excluded from the Council of Europe in 2022 but remains legally obliged to comply with court rulings.

The report also noted that Romania recorded the highest amount of “just satisfaction” awarded by the court in 2025, totaling over EUR 69 million, significantly more than any other member state.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Awargula/Dreamstime.com)