Today, we reaffirm our commitment and determination to prevent and fight corruption in all its forms. Corruption undermines citizens' trust in public institutions, distorts the business environment and enables crime creating a sense of insecurity and injustice. By fostering a culture of integrity across our societies and ensuring that public institutions serve citizens with transparency, efficiency, and accountability, we can fight corruption and make our democracies more resilient.
The EU is acting decisively and tightening the net around corruption by establishing the first comprehensive EU legal framework to tackle this problem. Last week, the European Parliament and the Council, provisionally agreed on the proposal for a Directive on combatting corruption, which the Commission had presented in April 2023. This directive harmonises the definitions of a full set of corruption offences, and the level of criminal penalties, while strengthening the effectiveness of investigation and prosecution. The directive also introduces provisions to prevent corruption and ensure high level of integrity, transparency and accountability in public administration and public decision-making.
Globally, corruption costs billions a year and jeopardises good governance, stability, prosperity and progress to advance on the UN sustainable development goals. We stand firmly behind the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), to which the EU is a party. This steadfast commitment is illustrated by the first cycle of the UNCAC implementation review for the EU, which is currently being completed.
But our work is far from over: corruption is pervasive and tackling it is a challenge that requires sustained effort and commitment. The European Commission is developing the first EU Anti-Corruption Strategy, to be presented next year. It will define strategic priorities and set out a comprehensive approach to preventing and repressing corruption, building the new directive and EU network against corruption with new actions to reinforce our collective capacity to address corruption. Each year the Commission's reviews the effectiveness of Member States' anti-corruption framework as one of the main pillars in the Rule of Law Report, and it works closely with candidate countries to ensure the necessary reforms are put in place as part of the enlargement process.
The EU's institutions are held to account and the financial interests of the EU are protected through a solid legal framework to prevent corruption and ensure integrity, as well as good cooperation between the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and national authorities to ensure that corruption cases are effectively investigated and prosecuted.
At the heart of these efforts lies a clear and unwavering commitment: to protect and increase the resilience of our societies and strengthen our democracies.
Background
The Commission is currently working the new EU Anti-corruption strategy, which is tentatively planned to be presented in 2026.
The European Commission welcomes the provisional political agreement reached on 2 December between the European Parliament and the Council on the Directive on combatting corruption, proposed by the Commission in May 2023. The new rules provide a modern and harmonised framework to effectively prevent, detect, and sanction corruption.
The EU network against corruption , set up in May 2023, acts as an umbrella forum bringing together all relevant stakeholders to exchange good practices, share opportunities, and shape the future work. The recently adopted Directive has formalised this Network, reinforcing its role in strengthening anti-corruption efforts across the Union.
The EU has been a party to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) since 2008. In December 2020, the Commission adopted a Communication outlining its commitment to a transparent and inclusive process under the Convention's Implementation Review Mechanism. The Commission formally notified its readiness to undergo the review in June 2021, and the EU's first implementation review cycle was launched in July 2021. In December 2025, the UN published the executive summary of this first cycle, marking an important milestone in the EU's engagement with global anti-corruption standards.
