After years of backsliding and stagnation on the rule of law, the EU is showing it is still able to tackle corruption head-on.
Today negotiators agreed on the EU’s first-ever directive laying down clear and consistent definitions of corruption offences, closing loopholes and raising standards across Europe. This is the first EU-wide legislation to counter corruption. Previously, there was no common standard for the European countries, which was a glaring omission as well as a major political obstacle during negotiations. Yet for the first time in years, the EU has showed it can still push forward with rule of law initiatives.
“Tonight we achieved a breakthrough for citizens expecting the EU to look after their tax money, for businesses who need clear rules to operate across the EU, for everyone who cares about reliable politics and the rule of law. Parliament entered these negotiations with ambition and we got a win for Europe — and we will be prepared to go further when the member states are ready to take the next steps.”
Raquel García Hermida-Van Der WalleRenew Europe MEP, Netherlands, Democraten 66
Once the new directive will be in place, governments will be compelled to outline national anti-corruption strategies, implement harmonised definitions of corruption offences and sanctions, work more closely together with other national and EU authorities, and annually report on corruption and their fight against it.