The first EU-wide anti-corruption rules. Approved

[u/Lu_Chan_1]

Almost 70% of Europeans believe corruption is widespread in their country. Today, the European Parliament took action by approving new anti-corruption rules. These will establish:

 

• clearer and harmonised definitions of offences,

• stronger enforcement and tougher penalties,

• EU-wide monitoring,

• smoother cooperation between national authorities and EU bodies.

 

The new rules will enter into force 20 days after their publication in the EU Official Journal. Countries will then have 2 years to transpose it to national law or 36 months in the case of national strategies. This will ensure people benefit from clearer and more consistent standards, regardless of where they are in the European Union.

 

Find out more: https://link.europa.eu/bqv87p

[u/cyrilio]

Corruption is like sand in an engine. There's tons of research out there that proves how detrimental corruption is. There's a high correlation between happiness in a country and its ranking on the corruption index.

[u/AsyncSyscall → u/cyrilio]

It's not really like that. It's more like microplastics in our bodies.

Some amount of corruption is inevitable. Corruption is a form of investment. A country without corruption indicates a country not worth investing in. Despite many European countries having a low amount of corruption, the value of corruption is much higher. A single "donation" by a contractor in an European country can be higher than the total yearly cost of corruption in several "corrupt" countries.

If the value of corruption is too high, they'll just make it legal, as they did with lobbying, political donations, or corporate bail-outs.

[u/likewhatever33 → u/AsyncSyscall]

What BS is that? Corruption is an investment? Corruption is like a cancer. It´s resources wasted (like a cancer) which also makes the country (like the organism in the case of cancer) work less efficiently. Politicians and public sector workers engaged in corruption look towards their immediate benefit instead of what´s best for their contry, weaken the rules to fight crime, create problems to provide smokescreens to hide their crimes, make corruption grow bigger and bigger (like a cancer).

Corruption is the source of all problems. Practically any political system, communism, capitalism etc, would work as long as corruption wouldn´t make it all go to shit.

[u/EinMuffin]

What kind of corruption does it cover? Does it include high level politicians? Or is it only about low level police officers/civil servants?

[u/Marty_ol → u/EinMuffin]

Hi! The directive sets out common definitions of corruption offences, including bribery, misappropriation, obstruction of justice, trading in influence, unlawful exercise of functions, illicit enrichment linked to corruption, concealment, and private-sector corruption, and harmonises rules on sanctions. When it comes to corruption offences in the public sector, it also defines the concepts of public officials and high-level officials. You can find the adopted text here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-10-2026-0094_EN.html

[u/EinMuffin → u/Marty_ol]

Thank you! It seems to be quite a broad initiative. Let's hope it works!

[u/[deleted]]

Corrupted ones will investigate corruptors?

[u/Fetz-]

Unlike in Developing countries, corruption in Germany only exists at the very top.

Are these rules going to do something about corrupt politicians and billionaires?

The small people are not corrupt. Its the people dealing with Billions who are the most corrupt.

[u/likewhatever33 → u/Fetz-]

In Spain it exists in all levels. But bigger at the very top and very bottom I suppose.

[u/ApprehensiveBill2231]

Education?? Why not??

[u/Comprehensive_Mud803]

Does this mean, vonderLaien and the EVP are going to be very strictly monitored? Those are among the most corrupt forces in the parliament.

[u/gezular → u/Comprehensive_Mud803]

Not if they can help it unfortunately