The European Union has adopted its first anti-corruption law, but the measures are weaker than the initial proposals. Minimum definitions and sanctions have been reduced, and abuse of office has been excluded.

On December 1, the European Union adopted the first anti-corruption law applicable in all 27 member states, after two years of difficult negotiations. The law aims to harmonize the definitions of corruption offenses and minimum penalties, but the final text is considered much weaker than the initial proposals of the European Commission. Ministers in the EU Council were reluctant to accept minimum standards in criminal law, and one of the most controversial disputes was related to the offense of abuse of office, which Italy managed to remove from the legislation.

Although stricter rules for preventing corruption were maintained, anti-corruption experts believe that the agreement is insufficient to effectively combat corruption in the EU. Member states will have two years to implement the law and an additional year to submit their anti-corruption plans to the European Commission. The negotiator for the European Parliament emphasized that the next step will be the creation of an ethics body for EU officials, and the Commission will present a new anti-corruption strategy in 2026.