Dear Colleagues,
I thank the Presidency for organising this exchange of views on the EU actions against corruption.
I will answer to each question put forward by the Presidency one after the other.
Firstly, fighting corruption in a coordinated, comprehensive and coherent approach has been a priority for this Commission over the past 5 years across different policy areas.
Together with you and the Parliament, we have made progress to step up the fight against corruption by proposing and successfully negotiating relevant legislation, such as new rules:
- on anti-money laundering,
- on the protection of the Union’s financial interests,
- on law enforcement access to financial information, and
- on the protection of whistleblowers across the EU.
We have also set up the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to fight crimes affecting the financial interests of the Union, including corruption.
Within the European Semester of economic governance, the Commission has monitored anti-corruption efforts in the Member States.
In particular, the Commission has analysed the key corruption challenges in the country reports for several Member States where there are obstacles for investment, efficient resource allocation, economic performance and growth.
Secondly, the information collected by international anti-corruption mechanisms are valuable contributions for the existing monitoring carried out by the Commission I referred to just before.
Indeed, on 17 July, the Commission adopted a Communication on Strengthening the rule of law through increased awareness, an annual monitoring cycle and more effective enforcement.
This Communication sets out concrete initiatives grouped around three pillars:
- promoting a rule of law culture;
- preventing rule of law problems; and
- responding effectively to breaches to the rule of law.
The fight against corruption is part and parcel of this reinforced rule of law toolbox.
The information collected by the international anti-corruption mechanisms will be for instance useful to implement notably the Rule of Law Review Cycle.
Thirdly, on the role of the EU in the global fight against terrorism, let me recall that in July, the EU became an observer in the Council of Europe’s Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO).
The Union’s participation in GRECO’s work as an observer will bring real added value to their cooperation on capacity-building and implementing standards intended to strengthen the rule of law and the fight against corruption.
As emphasised in the Commission letters of June 2019 to the Council of Europe, the Parliament and the Council, the request to admit the Union as an observer to GRECO does not preclude any developments as regards the Union’s possible participation in GRECO as a full member in the future.
As regards the the implementation review under the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the Union is in a unique position in the Convention, as the only party which is not a state, but a regional economic integration organisation.
The review of the EU under this Convention concerns not only the Commission, but also the other EU institutions.
This is why, the Commission launched a discussion before the summer with the Parliament and the Council with a view to making progress on this review.
The Commission requested the Council and the Parliament to nominate contact points for a working group dedicated to finalising the technical arrangements linked to the review.
Finally, I would like to inform you that the Commission together with you has started to the preparatory work to have a EU common contribution to the discussions scheduled for April 2021 in the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on corruption.
As you can see, the Commission is fully mobilised to fight corruption in the EU, I therefore look forward to hear your views.