A significant reduction in the number of cases pending before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has placed Romania, for the first time, in 7th position among member states in terms of applications pending before the Court, compared with 4th place at the end of 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) reports.
'This important improvement reflects the systematic efforts of the Romanian authorities and of the Government Agent for the ECHR to reduce the number of pending cases and to address the structural issues identified by the Court,' the same source states.
In this regard, the adoption of 17 inadmissibility decisions concerning 925 applications based on Article 3 of the Convention, relating to detention conditions in Romania, is highlighted.
'These decisions reflect the application of the Court's recent case-law, in particular the judgment delivered in the case of Vascautanu v. Romania, in which the ECHR analysed and validated the effectiveness of the preventive remedy provided for under Article 56 of Law No. 254/2013 on the execution of sentences and custodial measures ordered by judicial authorities during criminal proceedings. This remedy consists of the possibility for persons deprived of liberty to lodge a complaint before the judge supervising detention when they claim to be held in inadequate conditions,' the Romanian ministry notes.
Thus, Romania is highlighted as a positive example in the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers' Annual Report for 2025 on the supervision of the execution of ECHR judgments and decisions.
According to the report, Romania recorded the most significant decrease among all Council of Europe member states both in the total number of pending cases and in the number of 'leading cases' under supervision. This result reflects the sustained efforts of the Romanian authorities to strengthen their internal capacity to implement ECHR judgments.
The report also highlights Romania's active role in the context of the growing strategic importance of executing the Court's judgments, given the increasing complexity of the cases pending before the ECHR.
More generally, in 2025, the Committee of Ministers closed 949 cases, an increase of 6.2% compared with the previous year. Of these, 194 were leading cases, which often involve legislative amendments or changes in judicial practice aimed at preventing similar violations from recurring.
Romania thus joins those member states that have intensified their efforts to comply with European standards in the fields of human rights and the rule of law. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms Romania's firm commitment to the full and effective implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as an expression of respect for the fundamental values promoted by the Council of Europe.
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