Croatia's MED9 presidency focuses on AI use in justice systems

Under the Croatian presidency of the MED9 initiative, Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation Damir Habijan hosted a working dinner of the Ministers of Justice of the MED9 member states in Luxembourg, dedicated to AI application in justice systems

In 2026, Croatia chairs an informal group of nine southern EU Member States known as MED9, comprising Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Croatia.

With the MED9 presidency, Croatia wants to further emphasize its heritage that is deeply related to the Mediterranean and Central Europe, which gives us the opportunity to look at challenges and opportunities ahead of the EU from different angles.

Among the key topics of the Croatian presidency are the digital transformation and strengthening of institutions and the rule of law, so the representatives of the MED9 countries at the working dinner exchanged experiences and approaches related to the digitalisation of the judiciary, with a special emphasis on the responsible and safe application of artificial intelligence, the protection of fundamental rights and the preservation of judicial independence.

During the evening, State Secretary Ivan Crnčec gave a presentation on Croatian experiences and current projects in the field of the AI application in the justice system.

Projects for automated anonymisation and publication of judgements, audio recording and automatic transcription of hearings, modernisation of the eFile system and the development of guidelines for the use of generative artificial intelligence in the work of judges were presented.

The participants underlined that despite the many benefits of using AI, human influence and decision-making must remain at the heart of the justice system. They also stressed the importance of further cooperation among the MED9 countries in exchanging experiences and best practices with a view to developing modern, efficient and transparent justice systems in line with European standards and the protection of fundamental rights.

The discussion indicated that the Member States are at different stages in the application of AI in their judicial systems and that Croatia can be a leader in this area.

EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath also participated in the event.

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