EU corruption: Italy blocks important legal reform!

EU corruption: Italy blocks important legal reform!

The discussion about corruption in the European Union increasingly gains drama, especially against the background of numerous scandals such as Qatargate or the latest revelations around the former EU parliamentarian Pier Antonio Panzeri. These processes also highlight the inadequacies in combating corruption at EU level. On June 16, 2025, the adoption of a guideline to strengthen corruption control during interinstitutional negotiations in Strasbourg failed, which is made by politics as a clarifying sign of the continuing blockages within the EU. According to Euractiv in particular, the Italian government under Giorgia Meloni is a main cause for the failure of this directive. It stands against the inclusion of the "abuse of power" as a specific corruption offense.

Germany also gets into the crossfire of criticism, since it has no corresponding law in criminal law, which also complicates the situation. The guideline would not only have harmonized the sanctions between the Member States, but also expanded the definition of corruption and strengthened the national corruption control authorities. "It remains to be seen whether a compromise can be found," emphasizes MP Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle.

critical background and need for action

The increase in corruption cases within the EU - since the past few years alone, numerous high -ranking politicians and civil servants have been associated with criminal machinations - also contradicts the ongoing discussion about the need for concrete measures. According to the surveys of the bpb , 68% of Europeans look widespread in their country, whereby only 31% believe that the existing anti-corruption measures are actually effective.

The EU Commission still plans to strengthen its measures to combat corruption. Věra Jourová, the Commission's Vice President, has announced that the focus will in future be on the criminalization of abuse of office. This in turn is intended to help actively act in public, but also in the private sector against corrupt machinations. "It is important to create a culture of integrity," she says in this context and indicates the planned sensitization campaigns.

The direction of the reforms

Another challenge is the fact that the proposal for creating a European ethics authority was initially abandoned. This was under pressure from the European People's Party, which expressed concerns about effectiveness and feasibility. In addition, surveys show that many citizens, similar to the EU, see corruption as a serious threat to democracy and the rule of law. This is how the Commission explains that the problems are in-depth nature and not only in the legislative period of the individual member states, but also in the overall strategy of the EU lay. Supposedly, corruption of the EU economy costs at least 120 billion euros annually.

How to proceed? A new round of negotiations is already planned before the end of the month, and the Council's Polish presidency has hope for soon positive results. However, the question remains whether these negotiations are based on a real will to change or whether the Member States will continue to be blocked by national interests. A strong political signal for the future would be urgently needed - not only for prevention, but also to combat the widespread corruption.