On 28 October 2022 the European Commission for the efficiency of justice (CEPEJ) published the results of the third cycle of the Action “Dashboard for the Western Balkans: towards a better evaluation of the results of judicial reform efforts in the Western Balkans” with data from 2021. The action is part of the second phase of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” programme, funded by the EU and the CoE and implemented by the CoE. The overall objective is to better measure the progress of judicial reforms in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo (in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence).

The evaluation is directed at helping these countries base their future policies and budget allocations on the CEPEJ findings, in order to take steps necessary to complete reforms and improve the quality, efficiency, and/or accountability of their justice systems – in line with European standards.

The report consists of two parts. The first, comparative part presents regional trends using tables and graphs involving 12 indicators on the efficiency and quality of justice systems. The data included refer to 2020, 2019 and, where available, 2018 from previous cycles. An overview of key regional trends introduces each of the 12 indicators. The second part presents an in-depth analysis of the relevant judicial systems using infographics, tables, graphs, and narrative explanations.