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EU agrees on common anti-corruption laws

by AI | 03.Dec 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Uniform penalties: The member states and the EU Parliament agree on standards in the fight against corruption. However, some believe the agreement does not go far enough.

EU flags in front of the EU Commission in Brussels. Photo: Alicia Windzio/dpa

Brussels (dpa) – The EU countries want to combat corruption in future with uniform minimum standards. For the first time, the laws of the EU countries are to uniformly and across all sectors define what is considered corruption and how it is to be punished, the Council of the EU states announced after negotiations with the European Parliament. The rules are to apply both in the private economy and in public administration. The agreement still has to be formally confirmed by the European Parliament and the member states in the Council.

Throughout the EU, criminal corruption is to include, for example, bribery in the public and private sectors, embezzlement, and obstruction of justice. There are also to be uniform standards for conduct in public office in future.

The minimum level of penalties is also defined 

In addition, the new rules set out how nation states must punish offenses related to corruption. According to the announcement, offenders face prison sentences ranging from at least three to at least five years, depending on the offense. It is also to be uniformly defined in which cases public officials who have been found guilty of corruption lose their positions. 

The amount of fines for companies in corruption cases is to depend on their total worldwide turnover, it says. To prevent criminal offenses, each EU country is to set up a center for combating corruption. The member states are also to record which professions and sectors are particularly affected by corruption. 

Member of the European Parliament praises agreement but also sees a missed opportunity 

The Green politician and Member of the European Parliament Daniel Freund said that with the new rules the EU was preventing individual member states from simply decriminalizing certain acts. “That is exactly what has already happened in Italy and Hungary, for example,” the politician said. At the same time, a chance had been missed because the member states had not been willing to disclose the number of corruption cases in their countries in future, Freund added. (2 December)