About Us
The WJP is an independent, multidisciplinary organization working to advance the rule of law worldwide.
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We engage advocates from across the globe and from multiple work disciplines to advance the rule of law.
Navigating a Changing Business Landscape in the EU
European businesses are navigating a complex and increasingly challenging landscape. Heightened global competition, rising regulatory demands, labor shortages, and increased energy costs are just some of the challenges companies face. At the same time, geopolitical instability and threats to Europe’s rule-based order (exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, migration issues, and climate change), create uncertainty and pose significant barriers to innovation, growth, and long-term investment decisions withing the European Union (EU). Amid these pressing challenges, strengthening the rule of law is critical to enhancing stability, fostering innovation, and rebuilding business confidence across the EU.
A strong rule of law is the foundation of a stable, predictable, and transparent business environment. It supports the EU’s strategic priorities, including competitiveness, prosperity, and the digital and green transitions, by providing the legal certainty businesses need to thrive. When laws are adopted and enforced consistently, administrative processes remain clear, and corruption is minimized, companies can operate with confidence, drive innovation, and contribute to economic growth across the European Union.
Business Leaders on the Rule of Law
To explore this question, the World Justice Project (WJP) convened a private-sector roundtable in Brussels in February under Chatham House Rules. The discussion featured key insights from World Justice Project EUROVOICES, a comprehensive new data portal. The platform offers a comprehensive assessment of dozens of rule of law indicators across EU countries and communities.
Roundtable participants unanimously agreed that the private sector is not just a beneficiary of the rule of law, but also a key enabler within the EU context. Companies actively shape regulatory environments through their compliance practices, corporate governance frameworks, and strategic advocacy efforts. Ethical business practices reinforce both legal stability and economic growth within the EU
Legal leaders from major international corporations named misinformation, corruption, and environmental governance as key areas where businesses can take the lead in strengthening the rule of law. But they also recognized business cannot do it alone, and that companies must work together with policymakers and civil society to create a fair and transparent business environment.
The business leaders present expressed enthusiasm for World Justice Project EUROVOICES as a valuable tool to support their risk assessments and compliance efforts. They recognized its potential to guide market entry, operational, planning, and investment decisions; and strengthen predictive analytics on risks such as corruption and lack of government transparency within EU’s rule of law landscape.
World Justice Project Eurovoices: A New Strategic Tool for Business Decision-Making and Risk Mitigation.
World Justice Project EUROVOICES is the first edition of an independent research project, funded by the European Commission. The comprehensive study evaluates, analyzes, and maps out national and regional variations in how people in the EU perceive and experience democratic governance, fundamental rights, justice, safety, corruption, transparency, regulatory enforcement, and the business climate. It draws on more than 8,000 survey responses from independent local legal experts (Expert Scorecard) and 64,000 regionally representative household surveys (People’s Voices). The data is organized into three broad thematic areas: Transparency and Corruption, Democracy and Fundamental Rights, Justice and Safety
This granular dataset allows businesses to conduct localized risk assessments or evaluate broader national regulatory landscape, helping them analyze regulatory stability, mitigate compliance risks, and optimize business strategies.
The regulatory environment varies widely across the EU
World Justice Project EUROVOICES data shows that many EU countries have effective legal frameworks for businesses and perform well in regulatory enforcement, but regional disparities underscore the need for simplification and consistency.
The EUROVOICES Expert Scorecard evaluates administrative proceedings based on local experts’ assessments of clarity, accessibility, timeliness, and predictability of the legal framework for businesses. The average EU country score is of 0.61 out of 1, with Finland, Estonia, Denmark, and Sweden scoring the highest. Meanwhile countries including Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Italy lag behind, suggesting some inefficiencies in their processes.
The average expert score for regulatory enforcement is also above 0.50, with an EU average of 0.66. But this indicator, which measures the regularity and effectiveness of audits and inspections, varies greatly between countries, ranging from 0.46 in Malta to 0.79 in Austria.
For multinational businesses, these inconsistencies create uncertainty and increase compliance costs. Some companies at the Brussels event shared how they can use WJP EUROVOICES data to evaluate risks before expanding into new markets. Others noted that while large firms can handle regulatory complexity, smaller ones often struggle.
Misinformation, Corruption, and Transparency Concerns in the EU
Access to information in the EU is generally strong, yet public mistrust in some institutions persists, posing challenges for businesses and the overall rule of law environment. Insights from the People’s Voices section of World Justice Project EUROVOICES include:
- People across many parts of the EU see official anticorruption measures as ineffective, but many believe in their own ability to make a difference
- Legal experts in Sweden, Finland, and Estonia are most confident in transparency and access to information, while experts in Romania, Italy, Cyprus, and Hungary have the greatest concerns.
- In 23 out of 27 EU countries, most people believe top government officials use misinformation to shape public opinion in their favor.
At the Brussels roundtable, business leaders said misinformation affects business operations and consumer trust. They agreed that companies, particularly those in the digital space, can take proactive steps by training employees and consumers to critically assess online content, providing verification tools to flag unreliable sources, and partnering with media literacy organizations to scale up digital education efforts.
Could businesses become more trusted than governments in countering misinformation? Some attendees suggested they already are.
Another area where World Justice Project EUROVOICES data identifies potential for business to step up environmental sustainability. In most of the EU Member States, fewer than 40% of people believe their governments are effectively addressing climate change and environmental challenges. Roundtable participants agreed that businesses that incorporate sustainability into their governance models can help bridge this gap, fostering public trust while advancing long-term economic resilience.
Shaping the Future: Join the Conversation at World Justice Forum 2025
As businesses, policymakers, and civil society work together to strengthen the rule of law, ongoing collaboration is key. These discussions will continue at the World Justice Forum 2025: Standing Up for the Rule of Law, taking place 23-26 June in Warsaw, Poland.
Registration is now open: forum.worldjusticeproject.org/register
