EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 20.11.2025

COM(2025) 801 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

European Judicial Training Strategy 2025 - 2030



Creating a supportive environment for DigitalJustice@2030

1.A Judicial Training Strategy for 2025-2030 1

Digitalisation and the uptake of AI solutions are essential to building the capacity of public administrations in the EU to deliver efficient, high-quality public services in a cost-effective manner 2 . This is equally true, and critically important, in the field of justice, where digital transformation has the potential to enhance the efficiency and quality of justice systems and access to justice.

Countries which have effective justice systems, guarantee access to justice, and ensure a high quality of justice and transparency, are more likely to attract investment. Digitalisation and AI can therefore contribute to growth and the competitiveness of EU economies 3 . The quality of justice can be improved when justice professionals focus on their core duty of rendering justice, while digital tools are used for routine, technical tasks. Digitalisation of justice has the potential to deliver faster and simpler access to justice, bringing it closer to both individuals and businesses. It is also important for making justice more resilient to crisis, as illustrated during the Covid-19 pandemic. The crucial role of digitalisation was reaffirmed in the European Council’s new European competitiveness deal 4  and in the Political Guidelines of President von der Leyen 2024-2029 5 .

The Commission’s DigitalJustice@2030 strategy 6  aims to accelerate the digitalisation of justice systems in the EU by 2030. In practice, this means supporting the deployment of digital tools in justice to improve efficiency as well as enabling Member States to learn from each other in the development and use of digital tools and infrastructure. By 2030, all justice professionals, businesses and individuals should be able to enjoy easy online access to all legislation and case-law. It is also anticipated that every Member State will aim to have a single digital entry point that enables all individuals, including persons with disabilities, to make contact with the courts, participate in hearings and launch and advance judicial proceedings at any time, anywhere. This will significantly increase access to justice while reducing cost.

Harnessing this potential requires justice professionals to acquire the relevant skills, knowledge and awareness. To that end, judicial training is instrumental and a key enabler of this DigitalJustice@2030 vision 7 , addressing digital skills gaps, underlined by the Draghi 8 , Letta 9 , and Niinistö 10 reports. The Council’s European e-Justice Strategy 2024-2028 11 highlighted that the digital transformation of justice must include the digital empowerment and capacity-building of its users and that special attention should be paid to training for justice professionals. 

To support the DigitalJustice@2030 strategy aims, this Judicial Training Strategy calls for specific measures to foster a supportive environment for upskilling justice professionals in the use of digital tools and infrastructure, building their knowledge on substantive and procedural EU and national law adapted to the needs of the digital economy and society, and developing understanding of the need for digitalisation. A central part of this is giving professionals the skills they need to use the new technologies 12 . In line with the Council’s conclusions on the use of artificial intelligence in the field of justice 13 , training providers are called on to develop training and empower justice professionals to cope with the digitalisation of justice systems, in particular the use of AI in justice.

2.Objectives

2.1.Digital skills

Europe needs a new approach to skills 14 . For this reason, the European Commission introduced the Union of Skills 15 , a plan which aims to ensure that everyone in Europe is empowered to build solid skills foundations, engage in lifelong upskilling and acquire all basic and advanced digital skills required to carry out their role 16 . It also adopted the Digital Decade Policy Programme 17 , which formulated the goal that by 2030, key public services should be delivered 100% online. The European Commission’s Communication on Enhancing the European Administrative Space (ComPact) 18 provides concrete measures for promoting the sustainable and effective use of emerging technologies and the digital upskilling of the public workforce.

To meet these aims, all justice professionals must acquire the necessary IT and AI literacy skills 19 . They should be able to effectively use digital tools - including AI - and infrastructure, and competently apply digitalised cross-border procedures and tools, including the decentralised IT system established by Regulation (EU) 2023/2844 20 . In addition, they should be able to access digital databases across borders and manage the impact of digitalisation on court proceedings. According to their professional roles they should be able to manage cases digitally, i.e. correctly assess, transfer and process digital documents and make appropriate use of videoconferencing which ensures respect for procedural rights and safeguards for suspects, accused persons, requested persons and victims, accessibility for persons with disabilities, and adherence to data protection requirements. Since many procedural acts are prepared by or otherwise require the involvement of court staff, they too should benefit from regular training in digital skills. Judicial training should also equip professionals to use digital systems that enhance children’s access to justice and judicial protection, while safeguarding their participatory rights.

Training systems need to become more responsive to changing skills needs and skills gaps stemming from technological developments that impact the justice systems. Training should enable justice professionals to adapt to the evolving legal environment and reduce digital skills gaps. Managing the challenges posed by digital transformation requires effective collaboration between justice professionals, IT experts and competent bodies.

Training should also enable justice professionals to generate efficiency gains from the use of AI tools. In parallel, it should promote efficient and responsible use of AI tools in justice, in compliance with the EU legal framework. When deploying AI systems, justice professionals as well as other staff of judicial administrations must have a solid knowledge of how to use AI tools both efficiently and responsibly within their respective working environments. Training initiatives should prioritise the development of AI literacy and the skills needed to understand, evaluate and appropriately apply AI tools. This includes full awareness of their benefits, limitations and inherent risks as well as ensuring compliance with the applicable legal framework.

Electronic court filing requires staff of judicial administrations to be trained to operate e-filing systems effectively and ensure they are used to their fullest potential 21 . Staff need to be well trained in order to manage judicial data correctly, for instance to publish judicial decisions online and make such information accessible in a structured, machine-readable and downloadable format which will also then feed into the European Legal Data Space. To understand the interaction between systems and data, judicial training should cover the topic of interoperability. This work can leverage on the work on the Interoperable Europe Academy 22  in the context of the Regulation 2024/903 (Interoperable Europe Act). To strengthen the digital competencies of justice professionals in the exercise of their duties (or ‘e-judgecraft’), training topics should include e-case management, e-courtroom management, leadership, communication using electronic means, ethics, cybersecurity and resilience. Leaders and managers in the justice sector must also develop change management skills to effectively adapt to technological advancements, implement new practices, and guide digital transitions both within judicial administrations and in collaboration with all justice stakeholders. These skills are essential to ensure a smooth transition to new digital systems and technologies.

The key objectives of and actions called for in this European Judicial Training Strategy are fully compatible with the specific measures 23 encompassed in the Implementation plan for the Commission Communication on Enhancing the European Administrative Space (ComPAct).

2.2.Substantive law in the context of the digital economy and society and cross-border cooperation tools

The digital transition has led (and will continue to lead) to new legislation regulating the use of new technologies in many fields of the digital economy and society. It has also brought (and will bring) changes to existing laws in order to address new technological challenges. It is therefore imperative that justice professionals know and apply substantive law addressing the needs of the digital economy and society, e.g. the AI Act 24 , Data Act 25 , Interoperable Europe Act 26 , Digital Markets Act 27 , Digital Services Act 28 , Digital Content Directive 29 , Sale of Goods Directive 30 , Product Liability Directive 31 and Terrorist Content Online Regulation 32 . Justice professionals also need to understand and undergo practical training in EU data protection law, e.g. the General Data Protection Regulation 33 , Law Enforcement Directive 34 and EU Data Protection Regulation 35 , which is relevant in the context of digitalisation of justice. Furthermore, they also need the knowledge of digital accessibility laws such as the European Accessibility Act 36 . Complex cross-border digital transactions, the use of a digital approach in the proposed 28th regime corporate legal framework, algorithm-supported decision-making and personal data processing are just a few examples of areas where disputes can arise which existing laws – that justice professionals were initially trained in – may not be designed to deal with. Thus when new or amended legislation, as well as associated CJEU case-law, emerges, continuous upskilling of justice professionals becomes essential to ensure that decisions are made in accordance with new legal rules and are enforced correctly and effectively.

Justice professionals must also have a thorough understanding of procedural law and cross-border cooperation enabled by digitalised justice environments. The Taking of Evidence 37 and the Service of Documents 38 Regulations require judicial authorities to communicate electronically from 1 May 2025 by using the decentralised IT systems established under those acts. It is therefore important that justice professionals, in addition to being proficient in the legal framework established by those two Regulations are also well trained in using the decentralised IT systems.

Regulation (EU) 2023/2844 carried out a major digital upgrade to the existing channels of communication in the area of cross-border judicial cooperation. Justice professionals will need to be fully proficient in the use of the decentralised IT system and the European Electronic Access Point set up by that Regulation in order to be able to efficiently carry out their tasks. For example, a lawyer wishing to launch a small claim in accordance with the European Small Claims Procedure, should – in addition to knowing the procedural steps according to the Small Claims Regulation – be able to make use of the European Electronic Access Point to send the claim to the competent court in another Member State. In turn, the judge receiving the claim in the Member State where the judicial proceedings are taking place will need to be able to make use of the decentralised IT system to process the claim and send the court’s response back to the claimant. Similarly, a public prosecutor issuing a European Arrest Warrant must clearly understand when to transmit it via the Schengen Information System and when and how to use the decentralised IT system established under Regulation (EU) 2023/2844.

The same judicial training is also needed with regard to the Joint Investigation Teams collaboration platform 39  and the decentralised IT systems established by amending Regulation (EU) 2023/2131 as regards digital information exchange in terrorism cases 40 , the e-evidence Regulation 41 , and the Transfer of Proceedings in Criminal Matters Regulation 42 .

More broadly, justice professionals should be familiar with using digital tools, particularly AI tools, in full knowledge of their limitations and the rules that govern their use and the inherent risks of such tools. For example, justice professionals should know how to properly use an AI speech-to-text system to transcribe audio recordings of court proceedings and hearings which then become part of the file, or to access data needed for criminal investigations from service providers.

2.3.Awareness raising

The digitalisation of national justice systems and cross-border cooperation in civil and criminal matters is accelerating, while the development of new technologies which can be used in justice is progressing even faster. Justice professionals therefore need to be aware of the potential for new technologies to simplify their work and increase efficiency. They should also understand that all justice professionals need solid digital skills in order to master a digital working environment.

Justice professionals must also be aware of the possible impact of modern technology, including AI, on fundamental rights 43  and values. Training should therefore highlight the relationship between AI and judicial independence.

Technology in the field of justice should support, not replace, human judgment and professional responsibility. Its purpose is to free up capacity among justice professionals so they can focus on their core tasks. This balanced approach is essential not only for maintaining professional motivation but also for safeguarding public trust. Moreover, it must also be the subject of training for leaders and managers who implement change in judicial administrations.

Finally, training should prepare justice professionals to play a proactive role in the design, development, and deployment of digital products and services related to their work. Digital transformation processes should be designed with and for justice professionals so that they are genuinely useful to their daily tasks 44 .

2.4.Other training objectives

2.4.1.Fundamental rights and rule of law

Judicial training on fundamental rights is important for building justice systems which respect the EU’s founding values of the rule of law, democracy and equality. Such justice systems benefit from trust, which in turn drives growth. Thus, respect for the rule of law and well-functioning justice systems support entrepreneurship and investment.

Independent judges and other justice professionals play a central role in implementing the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights 45 and secondary EU law, translating it into reality for people. In its strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights 46 , the Commission committed to prioritising training opportunities on the application of the Charter, its scope, content and related case-law, as well as its interplay with the European Convention on Human Rights. Training on fundamental rights should also cover specific EU acquis, such as whistleblower protection 47 , protection against hate speech or hate crime 48 and child-friendly justice. Additional training priorities are outlined in the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child, which calls for education on core principles such as the best interests of the child, the right of the child to be heard, and the need for age-appropriate access and protective procedures. Training is also needed to ensure the application of non-discrimination legislation including in relation to persons with disabilities. More broadly, gender equality must be embedded not only into judicial training content but also its organisation, including selection of training participants, expert involvement and data collection.

2.4.2.Recurrent EU training areas

By undergoing judicial training, justice professionals acquire the expertise to systematically apply EU law in their daily practice, ensuring its primacy and, where applicable, direct effect. This includes that the rights and obligations enshrined in EU law are respected at all times in domestic proceedings. To uphold the integrity and effectiveness of the EU’s legal order, justice professionals need to keep their knowledge of EU legislation and relevant CJEU case law up to date. This requires training, without which new legal instruments and case-law cannot achieve their intended impact. This is particularly relevant with regard to EU instruments governing cross-border judicial cooperation and the principle of mutual recognition. Judicial training is the cornerstone for building a stronger, more cohesive European area of justice that upholds the rule of law and citizens’ rights.

Judicial cooperation can only be effective where Member States consider decisions taken by the competent authorities of other Member States to be equivalent to their own, implying not only trust in the adequacy of other Member States’ rules, but also trust that those rules are correctly applied. Emerging needs and practical challenges in applying EU judicial cooperation and mutual recognition instruments in the area of civil, commercial and criminal law must therefore be addressed by training, with a particular focus on digitalisation to ensure modern and efficient delivery of justice across borders.

In the area of civil judicial cooperation, more than 20 instruments already exist. Their correct application relies on justice professionals being trained in such instruments as the Brussels Ia, Brussels IIb, Service of Documents, and Succession Regulations, or the anti-SLAPP Directive 49 . Together these instruments form a part of the EU acquis that is quite technical and often insufficiently understood, despite their growing relevance due to increased cross border movement of people and trade.

In relation to cross-border judicial cooperation in criminal matters, it is important that justice professionals receive proper training to ensure they correctly apply the numerous EU instruments in place. Most of these are based on the principle of mutual recognition, including new instruments such as the e-evidence rules, the new Transfer of Proceedings Regulation, and other relevant pieces of legislation such as the recent Asset Recovery and Confiscation Directive 50 . To effectively combat cross-border crime, justice professionals must also understand how criminal offences are harmonised and punished across the EU, especially the recently adopted Directives on the violation of Union restrictive measures 51  and on the protection of the environment through criminal law 52 , as well as the Directive on the fight against fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law 53 and the Directive on combating money laundering by criminal law 54 . Importantly, the Anti-Trafficking Directive as amended in 2024 55  specifically requires Member States to promote or offer specialised training to court staff on offences concerning trafficking in human beings.

Justice professionals must also be aware of the relevant EU bodies and agencies with a mandate to support judicial cooperation which national authorities must cooperate with to ensure a swift and coordinated reaction to the threats posed by cross-border crime. Training should therefore also be provided on the tasks and powers of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Eurojust and the related obligations for national authorities to cooperate with them.

The EU Strategy on Victims’ Rights (2020 – 2025) emphasises that training on victims’ rights is essential and must effectively reach all relevant actors who are in contact with victims, such as judicial authorities. A further area in which training is useful is the single market, which is key to the EU’s competitiveness. The single market can thrive only if its rules, in particular in the field of the free movement, are correctly enforced, so it is crucial that they are properly understood by justice professionals. The objectives of the EU environmental policy and proper application of EU environmental law can only be achieved if justice professionals with relevant functions benefit from a specialised training.

Finally, members of the judiciary would also benefit from training in dealing with representative actions as set out in the Representative Actions Directive 56  and under the revised Alternative Dispute Resolution Directive.

The training topics set out above were included in previous European judicial training strategies, with substantial EU support granted for developing training to address them. As these areas remain relevant, judicial training providers are expected to continue addressing them as part of their activities. EU support will continue to be offered, subject to available funds.

2.4.3.Enlargement

To meet EU membership criteria, candidate and potential candidate countries must employ judicial training in order to build an independent judiciary which is free from corruption, and effective, knowledge-based digital justice systems. Training is also crucial on judgecraft 57 , digital skills and European law with a focus on the rule of law and fundamental rights and their application in daily practice. EU support should aim to address challenges on the basis of a sound training needs assessment and a problem-oriented approach. Furthermore, judicial training must play an important role in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction process.

3.Delivering on objectives and performing actions

3.1.Target groups and stakeholders

This Judicial Training Strategy is targeted at the judiciary and judicial staff: judges, prosecutors, court and prosecution office staff, and other justice professionals associated with the justice system (lawyers in private practice, notaries, bailiffs, insolvency practitioners, mediators, prison and probation staff, and court interpreters and translators). The strategy addresses initial/induction and continuing training needs, with a particular emphasis on multipliers and court staff 58 as operators of digital tools. As training needs differ according to professional groups and Member States (or candidate countries), it is important for professional networks and organisations – alongside professional training providers – to be involved in judicial training activities since they know best the situations and various training needs of the categories of justice professionals they represent.

Attention should be paid to addressing disparities and gaps in EU-law training between Member States, professional groups and geographic regions. Disparities among candidate countries, including in the digitalisation of justice, should also be taken into consideration when incorporating them into relevant training activities and networks.

The European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) holds an important role as a platform coordinating national and cross-border training for judiciary and judicial staff.

European training providers such as the Academy of European Law, the European Institute of Public Administration, as well as the EJTN, the European Lawyers Foundation (ELF) and other justice stakeholder organisations and beneficiaries of EU funds should organise cross-border training with the aim of fostering a broader European perspective among participants and facilitating cross-border cooperation, professional exchange, and networking between justice professionals. The EJTN is well positioned to strengthen mutual trust, promote shared European judicial culture, and ensure the consistent application of EU law among judiciary and judicial staff across all Member States. This could be complemented and taken further by training providers at national level.

All EU-level training providers should be the drivers of innovative training approaches and pilot new training methods. In addition, they should develop ready-to-use or adaptable training materials translated into all EU languages covering EU priority training topics, and make these available for national training purposes. Such materials should be designed to accommodate specific national contexts, legal frameworks and practical circumstances, and be tailored to or adaptable to the needs of different categories of justice professionals.

The European Judicial Network in criminal matters (EJN-criminal) and the European Judicial Network in civil and commercial matters (EJN-civil) contribute to judicial training in the field of cross-border cooperation by providing resources and expertise, supporting peer learning, facilitating access to practical information, and cooperating with providers of judicial training.

3.2.Leveraging funding

In accordance with Article 11(1) of Regulation (EU) 2023/2844, Member States are responsible for dedicating part of their training budget to ensuring that justice professionals and competent authorities are trained to make efficient use of the decentralised IT system established under that Regulation and appropriate use of videoconferencing. Furthermore, when using AI in justice, Members States must fulfil their AI literacy obligations stemming from Article 4 of the AI Act.

Through the digitalisation of justice, one of the key trends of our time is currently reshaping a sector which is crucial for a functional society. There is broad consensus that judicial training is a crucial component 59  of the supportive environment needed to make this transformation a success. However, judicial training remains a national competence and national training budgets form the backbone of funding in this area.  EU financial support for judicial training is therefore not enough to achieve meaningful impact on its own. Therefore, efforts at both national and European level need to be combined to achieve the common aim of making the digitalisation of justice a success with the help of training. The Commission aims to use available funds to support judicial training, encouraging national authorities, judicial training institutions and professional bodies to perform actions and implement the objectives of this strategy according to the varying needs of Member States. In doing so EU funding can generate a leverage effect on national budgets.

The Justice Programme will play a key role in implementing this Judicial Training Strategy by providing action grants and operating grants to finance cross-border training projects. The Commission will improve internal coordination so that other EU programmes contributing to the training of justice professionals 60  are consistent with the priorities of this Judicial Training Strategy. Funding instruments must be better managed and coordinated to make the most efficient use of available budgets and to maximise the use of existing funding opportunities. Furthermore, the objectives and actions of this strategy need stronger coordination and integration at strategic, thematic and operational levels. In the area of criminal law, stronger cooperation with the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) would enhance the consistency of available training, while ensuring strong coordination between law enforcement and judicial authorities and potentially realising economies of scale.

Already under the current MFF EU and national funding for judicial training must be better coordinated in order to maximise their impact. Indeed, effective synergies between the various EU funding instruments and between EU funding instruments and national budgets is essential to avoiding overlaps and ensuring training content is closely aligned with the needs on the ground.

Under the next MFF 61 , which covers the period 2028-2034, the Commission has proposed to make the EU budget simpler and more flexible, allowing funding to be channelled to new priorities and changing needs. One of the main goals of the new MFF is to overcome fragmentation, overlaps, disparities and different funding rules and to bundle various funding tools to better coordinate and target spending. Thus, under the next MFF, the Justice Programme will continue to focus on supporting the digitalisation of justice and related training. While the Commission has recognised that the Justice Programme should support the digitalisation of justice at EU level 62 , it has proposed to considerably step up its budget, which will support judicial training for the digitalisation of justice. In addition, Member States will receive support for the digitalisation of their national justice systems and for related training through the National and Regional Partnership Plans 63 . These partnership plans will be anchored to European priorities but tailored to the specific needs of Member States and regions. Member States will therefore be able to take advantage of this opportunity by incorporating the priorities of the Judicial Training Strategy into their national plans.

The objectives of the Judicial Training Strategy will be better achieved through greater transparency and stronger cooperation and coordination between all stakeholders involved in judicial training. The Commission intends to support these efforts by providing incentives for the most effective national training providers to assist others through regional partnerships and by promoting the coordinated use of funding instruments in order to achieve long-term improvements across the EU.

Finally, the Commission has already stressed that better alignment between EU and national investment priorities can maximise the impact and effectiveness of training related funding 64 . This means that the training results achieved through national training budgets could be optimised if Member States align and coordinate their national training objectives with the objectives and actions of this strategy, while tailoring them to national needs. This could be enhanced by Member States working together to address common challenges. Coordinated national and EU funding can produce synergies which will help to deliver the supportive environment needed for the digitalisation of justice, while making training efforts more sustainable and leveraging innovation and capacity. A bottom-up model, complemented by EU-level coordination, could empower Member States to make use of both national and EU budgets.

European networks coordinating their national members will be instrumental in achieving the objectives and performing the actions of the Judicial Training Strategy. In particular, European networks of judicial training providers, such as the EJTN or the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) via the ELF should coordinate efforts of national judicial training institutions and professional bodies creating a supportive environment for the digitalisation of justice and secure the above-mentioned synergies, impact and funding optimisation. These networks should work to align EU-funded and nationally funded training initiatives and establish structured communication channels between the EU institutions and national training providers. This principle must guide how Commission funding is used by the European networks supporting the training of justice professionals in the Member States ensuring that resources are used efficiently and deliver strong leverage effects across Member States.

There are a number of EU-level professional networks which could also play a key role in helping to achieve structured and effective communication between the EU institutions and national justice stakeholders and training providers. These include the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary, the Network of Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union, the Association of the Councils of State and Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions of the European Union, the Network of Public Prosecutors or equivalent institutions at the Supreme Judicial Courts, the CCBE, the European Criminal Bar Association, the Council of the Notariats of the European Union, the European Union of Rechtspfleger, the European Union of Judicial Officers, the European Bailiffs’ Foundation, the European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services, the Confederation of European Probation, as well as associations of justice professionals. These networks must promote and contribute to training which is aligned with the objectives and calls for action of the Judicial Training Strategy, support capacity-building among national training providers, share good practice, set standards, connect stakeholders and encourage cooperation between Member States on training programmes and projects.

3.3.Commission support

The Commission’s European Training Platform (ETP) will be further expanded to provide a truly comprehensive judicial training toolbox offering complementary high-quality training material funded from various sources which is well disseminated, coordinated and highly visible. It should foster synergies and avoid duplication and overlap in order to maximise the impact of the available resources and budgets. Moreover, the ETP will host ready-to-use material, both for individual learning and for use by multipliers, that can be further adapted to the national context and needs and potentially support the interoperability of national judicial training platforms.

The Judicial Training Dashboard on the ETP will help the impact of this Judicial Training Strategy to be systematically monitored and show how Member States have fulfilled their training-related legal obligations 65 , created a supportive environment for the digitalisation of justice, and promoted best practices stemming from national and European success stories. Statistical data collected by the Judicial Training Dashboard will be limited to essential indicators and collected according to clear standards that allow for comparability of data from different sources. The data will be collected at regular intervals. Moreover, it will serve to measure progress towards judicial training objectives and implementation of required actions across Member States and professional groups, with a particular emphasis on the digital transition of justice systems and the application of EU law.

A judicial training forum bringing together a wide range of stakeholders from the field of judicial training could serve as an additional results-oriented measure to support the achievement of the Judicial Training Strategy by focusing on stakeholder outreach and engagement. Such a forum could aim to address training gaps and disparities between Member States, professional groups and geographic areas.

It is important for European and national judicial training to employ practical, hands-on training methods to help professionals adapt to increasingly digital work environments and absorb new practices. Face-to-face training is essential and should be complemented by distance learning to prepare and follow up face-to-face training, deepening the learning effects. Further benefits could also be realised by stepping up the sharing of best practices or organising professional exchanges and cross-professional training. AI could also be better integrated in judicial training itself, for example to help professionals learn and stay updated on legal developments, to generate interactive real-world simulations or to allow professional skills to be practised and developed. Other digital tools, such as virtual reality, could be used, where appropriate, to accommodate different learning styles and needs. Judicial training should also be accessible to practitioners working in isolated or remote areas of a Member State. Certification should be compatible across jurisdictions and training methodologies should also avoid overlap or duplication. Sustainability must be ensured by enabling regular updates of training content.

State of the art evaluation of training must become the standard and a precondition for receiving EU support. Training providers should apply appropriate evaluation methods for the type of training provided, measuring not only the reach of training activities, but also their long-term impact. A range of tools should be used for this purpose including more systematic use of the EU Justice Scoreboard which monitors the efficiency, quality and independence of national justice systems. Evaluation should be followed up with concrete measures, such as reporting on success stories or the performance of peer reviews to test how learning results have been implemented and applied in the participants’ workplace and organisation. All evaluation activities must ultimately be effective, make use of implementation science, and apply methods and strategies that monitor how learning has been used professionally, i.e. how the ‘know-do gap’ has been bridged.

(1)

The present strategy builds on previous strategies. It remains important to train justice professionals in the existing legal acquis, to ensure the effective application of EU legislation in the fields of civil and criminal justice and the practical application of fundamental rights. This strategy is informed by evidence from the EU Justice Scoreboard, Judicial Training Reports and stocktaking of the results of judicial training 2021 – 2024, as presented in the accompanying Commission Staff Working Document. It is based on a needs assessments carried out with relevant stakeholders, including at the Commission’s 2023 and 2024  judicial training conferences.

(2)

 The future of European competitiveness: Report by Mario Draghi , p. 67.

(3)

 COM(2025) 30 A Competitiveness Compass for the EU , p. 7.

(4)

Council of the EU (838/24) Budapest Declaration on the New European Competitiveness Deal, p. 1.

(5)

‘Europe’s Choice’ – Political Guidelines for the Next European Commission 2024−2029 , p. 6.

(6)

COM(2025)801 – DigitalJustice@2030 strategy.

(7)

Conclusions of the European Commission and the Polish Presidency in the official Chronicle of the expert meeting under the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union in Warsaw - New Challenges of AI Development and e-Communication in the Field of Justice (19-20 May 2025).

(8)

The future of European competitiveness: Report by Mario Draghi , p. 36-37.

(9)

  Report More than a Market , p. 47, 21-22.

(10)

  Safer Together Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness , p. 78.

(11)

  European e-Justice Strategy 2024-2028 (C/2025/437), para 52.

(12)

  The future of European competitiveness: Report by Mario Draghi , p. 36-37.

(13)

  Council conclusions on the use of Artificial Intelligence in the field of Justice  (16593/24), para 19.

(14)

The future of European competitiveness: Report by Mario Draghi , p. 36-37.

(15)

  COM(2025) 90 final EC Communication The Union of Skills , p. 4.

(16)

  COM(2022) 28 final European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade , p. 3.

(17)

Digitalisation of public services on  Europe’s digital decade: 2030 targets | European Commission , p. 4.

(18)

 COM/2023/667 final  Enhancing the European Administrative Space (ComPAct) - European Commission

(19)

Conclusions of the European Commission and the Polish Presidency in the official Chronicle of the expert meeting under the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union in Warsaw - New Challenges of AI Development and e-Communication in the Field of Justice (19-20 May 2025).

(20)

Regulation (EU) 2023/2844 on the digitalisation of judicial cooperation and access to justice in cross-border civil, commercial and criminal matters, and amending certain acts in the field of judicial cooperation.

(21)

  CEPEJ Guidelines on electronic court filing (e-filing) and digitalisation of courts , CEPEJ(2021)15, CEPEJ Guidelines for the Online Publication of Judicial Decisions Aiming at Furthering Legal Knowledge CEPEJ(2024)9.

(22)

  Interoperable Europe Academy Interoperable Europe Portal and Interoperable Europe Academy on EU Academy

(23)

They prioritise (among others): collecting and mapping existing training, developing passports of core competences and competency frameworks for novel skills (digital, green, innovation, etc), collecting and sharing good practices on GovTech and the use of AI, sharing standards for the definition of data models to comply with the Open Data Directive and sharing good practices on ethical standards for AI.

(24)

Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence.

(25)

Regulation (EU) 2023/2854 on harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data.

(26)

Regulation (EU) 2024/903 laying down measures for a high level of public sector interoperability across the Union

(27)

Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector.

(28)

Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 on a Single Market for Digital Services.

(29)

Directive (EU) 2019/770 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services.

(30)

Directive (EU) 2019/771 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the sale of goods.

(31)

Directive (EU) 2024/2853 on liability for defective products and repealing Council Directive 85/374/EEC.

(32)

Regulation (EU) 2021/784 on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online.

(33)

 Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation).

(34)

Directive (EU) 2016/680 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Council Framework Decision 2008/977/JHA.

(35)

Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC.

(36)

Directive (EU) 2019/882 on the accessibility requirements for products and services, as well as Directive (EU) 2016/2102 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies.

(37)

Regulation (EU) 2020/1783 on cooperation between the courts of the Member States in the taking of evidence in civil or commercial matters (taking of evidence).

(38)

Regulation (EU) 2020/1784 on the service in the Member States of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters.

(39)

Regulation (EU) 2023/969 establishing a collaboration platform to support the functioning of joint investigation teams.

(40)

Regulation (EU) 2023/2131 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1727 and Council Decision 2005/671/JHA, as regards digital information exchange in terrorism cases.

(41)

Regulation (EU) 2023/1543 on European Production Orders and European Preservation Orders for electronic evidence in criminal proceedings and for the execution of custodial sentences following criminal proceedings.

(42)

Regulation (EU) 2024/3011 on the transfer of proceedings in criminal matters.

(43)

See findings of the research conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on the digitalisation of justice and how it affects the fundamental rights in the report Digitalising justice: a fundamental rights approach .

(44)

Conclusions of the European Commission and the Polish Presidency in the official Chronicle of the expert meeting under the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union in Warsaw - New Challenges of AI Development and e-Communication in the Field of Justice (19-20 May 2025), p. 19, 21.

(45)

Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (OJ C 326, 26.10.2012).

(46)

COM/2020/711 Communication from the Commission Strategy to strengthen the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU, p. 12-13.

(47)

Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law.

(48)

Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law.

(49)

 Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (recast); Council Regulation (EU) 2019/1111 on jurisdiction, the recognition and enforcement of decisions in matrimonial matters and the matters of parental responsibility, and on international child abduction (recast); Regulation (EU) 2020/1784 on the service in the Member States of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters (service of documents) (recast); Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and acceptance and enforcement of authentic instruments in matters of succession and on the creation of a European Certificate of Succession; Directive (EU) 2024/1069 on protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded claims or abusive court proceedings (‘Strategic lawsuits against public participation’) together with the horizontal Anti-SLAPP Recommendation, C(2022)2428 final of 27.4.2022.

(50)

Second sentence of Article 26 of Directive (EU) 2024/1260 (provision on training): ‘Without prejudice to judicial independence and differences in the organisation of the judiciary across the Union, Member States shall ensure that specialised training and the exchange of best practices is available to staff involved in asset identification, tracing and recovery and confiscation’.

(51)

Directive (EU) 2024/1226 on the definition of criminal offences and penalties for the violation of Union restrictive measures.

(52)

Directive (EU) 2024/1203 on the protection of the environment through criminal law and replacing Directives 2008/99/EC and 2009/123/EC.

(53)

Directive (EU) 2017/1371 on the fight against fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law.

(54)

Directive (EU) 2018/1673 on combating money laundering by criminal law.

(55)

Article 18b of Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims as amended by Directive (EU) 2024/1712.

(56)

Directive (EU) 2020/1828 on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers and repealing Directive 2009/22/EC.

(57)

Judgecraft means the set of skills and attitudes of being a justice professional.

(58)

 Defined as ‘the support staff of courts and tribunals and of prosecutors’ offices, whatever their educational background or legal status’ in the EC Study on the Training Needs of Court Staff on EU Law in the EU .

(59)

See for instance page 6 of the  Council e-justice strategy 2024-2028, which points out that ‘Capacity-building and training activities will help users to seize the opportunities presented by digital transformation, providing them with effective and high-quality public services in the field of justice. Special attention should be paid to the initial and continuing training given to justice professionals, supporting the development of digital professional skills, in line with European judicial training strategies’ or the Council conclusions on the use of artificial intelligence in the field of justice which ‘invite the EJTN and national authorities or bodies responsible for judicial training to take into account the need for training and empowering justice professionals to cope with the digitalisation of justice systems’ and call for ‘training focusing on digitalisation of justice, including AI for justice professionals’.

(60)

Examples of relevant programmes under the current MFF: the Single Market Programme, LIFE programme, Internal Security Fund, the European Union Anti-Fraud Programme, the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme, the European Social Fund Plus, Instrument for Pre-Accession-Assistance III, Technical Assistance Instrument.

(61)

COM/2025/571 - Proposal for a Council Regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2028 to 2034.

(62)

COM(2025) 570 Communication from the Commission. A dynamic EU Budget for the priorities of the future - The Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, p. 18.

(63)

COM(2025) 565 – Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Fund for economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture and rural, fisheries and maritime, prosperity and security for the period 2028-2034, recital 20 and Article 3(1)(e)(II).

(64)

COM(2025) 570 Communication from the Commission. A dynamic EU Budget for the priorities of the future - The Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, p. 24.

(65)

Article 4 of the AI Act and Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2023/2844.