Anti-corruption directive: committee vote endorses trilogue deal

LIBE committee backs the first EU-wide criminal law framework against corruption

Harmonised offence definitions, sanctions and prevention obligations confirmed

Member states to adopt national anti-corruption strategies and publish comparable data

Reinforced cooperation with OLAF, EPPO, Europol and Eurojust

Civil Liberties MEPs approved the trilogue deal on the EU’s anti-corruption directive, paving the way for the first harmonised criminal-law framework against corruption.

The Civil Liberties Committee voted on Tuesday in favour of the political agreement on the new anti-corruption directive, which comprises the first EU-wide framework defining corruption offences and sets minimum rules for criminal and non-criminal penalties for bribery, misappropriation, obstruction of justice, trading in influence, unlawful exercise of functions, illicit enrichment linked to corruption, concealment, and private-sector bribery offences. The deal was approved with 54 votes in favour, 11 against, and nine abstentions.

Updating and strengthening the EU’s anti-corruption architecture

The new directive will result in a substantial modernisation of the Union’s criminal law toolbox, which was designed in past decades for the needs of the time. The EU will soon have a coherent legal framework in which corruption offences are aligned, terminology is standardised, and enforcement gaps in cross-border cases are reduced.

In addition to harmonising definitions of criminal conduct in both the public and private sectors, the directive introduces a structured sanctions system revolving around EU-wide statutory maximum penalties reflecting the gravity of different offences. These tiers (which were strongly championed by MEPs during the negotiations) will serve as a common reference point for national legislators, while preserving each EU country’s discretion to put in place stricter rules and finetune provisions for its national context.

Strengthening prevention, integrity, and governance tools

The text endorsed today also includes a set of preventive obligations designed to support long-term integrity and accountability, such as requirements for member states to adopt (in consultation with civil society) and publish concrete anti-corruption strategies, conduct sector-specific risk assessments, and have robust systems addressing conflicts of interest, political financing transparency, and public administration integrity standards. Each member state must also have adequately equipped and independent bodies (or dedicated organisational units) for the prevention and repression of corruption.

Improved cooperation and transparency mechanisms

Operational cooperation between national authorities and Union bodies (including OLAF, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, Europol, and Eurojust) is also to be strengthened, while better information exchange through existing secure channels and clearer coordination arrangements for cross-border cases is also foreseen. To improve transparency and comparability, member states will publish annual, machine-readable data.

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Parliament’s rapporteur Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle (Renew, NL) said: “This vote is the first hurdle we take to put this law in practice. The Committee supports the first significant step forward in years to strengthen the rule of law. People and businesses will benefit from clearer, more consistent rules, regardless of where they are in our Union. Parliament entered these negotiations with ambition and got a win for Europe - and we will be prepared to go further when the member states are ready to take the next steps.”

Next steps

The plenary vote for the final confirmation of the new rules by Parliament is expected to take place in March.

Background

On 3 May 2023, the Commission presented an anti-corruption package, including a proposal for a directive. According to the 2025 Eurobarometer survey on citizens’ attitudes towards corruption, 69% of Europeans believe that corruption is widespread in their country, while two-thirds think that high-level corruption cases are not pursued sufficiently.