Political donations, gifts and lucrative jobs after public office should face tighter scrutiny, the European Parliament demanded on Thursday. Its call for stronger anti-corruption safeguards comes as surveys show widespread distrust over whether powerful people face consequences.
Parliament backed priorities for the EU’s first anti-corruption strategy, calling for clearer political financing rules, independent investigators and stronger protection for people who expose wrongdoing. The Commission is preparing the strategy for publication before the end of the year.
“Every day we wait with implementation of anti-corruption measures hurts victims,” Raquel García Hermida-van der Walle said after the vote. The Dutch Renew Europe representative, who co-authored the resolution and led Parliament’s work on the anti-corruption directive, which was adopted in April 2026, urged faster action.
Who pays, who benefits and who checks?
Parliament wants more consistent rules on conflicts of interest, gifts, sponsored travel and asset declarations. It also seeks clearer lobbying requirements and controls on officials moving into private-sector jobs, where their previous responsibilities and contacts could benefit a new employer.
The demands extend to political parties, foundations and intermediaries involved in financing political activity. Public contracts and grants are another focus, alongside calls for stronger conditions on EU funding and measurable recommendations to governments. Thursday’s resolution sets Parliament’s position rather than changing the law itself.
The 2025 business Eurobarometer illustrates why political financing matters. Some 64% of surveyed EU companies disagreed that party funding was sufficiently transparent and supervised. Meanwhile, 56% disagreed that people and businesses caught bribing senior officials were appropriately punished. These figures measure businesses’ perceptions, but reveal doubts about both oversight and consequences.
European institutions would also face scrutiny. Parliament wants the EU to become a full member of GRECO, the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption watchdog. During Wednesday’s debate, ECR’s negotiator Mariusz Kamiński insisted Brussels must examine itself: “If the European Union genuinely wants to fight corruption, it must start with its own institutions.”
Rules on paper do not guarantee action
Corruption reaches beyond politicians accepting bribes. The Commission identifies favouritism, nepotism and conflicts of interest as other forms of abuse that can distort competition and weaken public services. Its 2025 survey found that 69% of Europeans considered corruption widespread in their country, while 35% of businesses regarded it as a problem when doing business.
If the European Union genuinely wants to fight corruption, it must start with its own institutions.
— MEP Mariusz Kamiński (ECR/PL)
Organised crime also depends on access to legitimate institutions and businesses. The OECD’s 2026 anti-corruption outlook, drawing on Europol’s research, says 71% of criminal groups reported to the agency in 2024 engaged in corruption. It describes criminals targeting workers in customs, logistics, local government and law enforcement to facilitate their activities.
The EU’s anti-corruption directive, which entered into force in May, establishes common definitions of offences and minimum standards for penalties. Governments have two years to implement it nationally. The forthcoming strategy is intended to complement those criminal-law rules with a broader approach to prevention and emerging risks. Parliament wants properly funded investigators, closer cross-border cooperation and protection for whistleblowers and investigative journalists.
Enforcement remains the practical test. The OECD found this year that only around one-quarter of its member countries track implementation of their anti-corruption strategies. Parliament’s demand for measurable results addresses that gap: declaring assets or publishing a strategy offers little protection unless authorities check the information, investigate wrongdoing and act on what they find.
