EU report finds no progress on Malta corruption convictions

The European Commission's 2026 Rule of Law Report, published on 17 July, found that Malta has made no progress in securing convictions in high-level corruption cases. The Police and Office of the Attorney General received additional resources and opened new investigations and prosecutions, but those inputs have not produced final convictions. The obstruction is structural: a substantial backlog of cases, heavy judicial workloads and a preliminary-inquiry system staffed by only four magistrates handling complex criminal investigations.

Of the seven recommendations assessed in the report, the Commission recorded no progress in three areas, limited progress in three others and some progress in one. The 2026 report covers rule-of-law reforms pursued under Prime Minister Robert Abela's administration, which has faced repeated calls to increase judicial resources, reform court procedures and accelerate justice-system digitalisation.

The government has not advanced reforms to the Chief Justice appointment process, which still lacks sufficient judicial involvement by European standards. Malta also remains without a National Human Rights Institution compliant with UN Paris Principles; necessary legislation has not been enacted. In the three areas of limited progress, administrative steps lack legislative underpinning.

The government established a Department of Public Consultation but has not introduced legislation the Commission deems necessary for meaningful participation before laws are enacted. On Freedom of Information, an electronic management system for requests has been set up, though legislative safeguards remain required. Protections for journalists have moved only marginally.

The one area of some progress, governance of Public Broadcasting Services Malta, carries a significant caveat: reforms intended to strengthen editorial independence have not yet been implemented in practice. Jonathan Attard held the Justice portfolio through the period the report assesses. Following Labour's re-election at the June 2026 general election, Prime Minister Abela removed Attard from the ministry and appointed Clifton Grima in his place.

The Commission's conclusions reflect accumulated performance across the assessment period rather than the current composition of government.