The European Commission has just published its 2026 Rule of Law Report, and the findings on anti-corruption paint a stark picture. Here’s a quick analysis:
Transparency International’s analysis of recommendations issued across seven EU member states (2022 -2026) reveals persistent gaps between commitments and action:
▪️Enforcement is backsliding. Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia have repeatedly received recommendations on the track record of high-level corruption cases with no progress. For the first time, the Commission used notably stronger language to describe the deterioration observed in Slovakia.
▪️Lobbying reform is stalled. Recommendations for stronger lobbying frameworks for countries including Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Slovakia, saw very little progress beyond legislative proposals.
▪️Conflict of interest rules are barely moving. Minimal progress has been made on asset disclosure and integrity frameworks.
▪️Political finance needs to be prioritised. Despite opaque money and undue influence remaining major threats to European democracy, only Italy received a recommendation in this area, with no meaningful progress since 2022.
With the EU Anti-Corruption Directive due to be transposed by 2028, Member States must seize this opportunity to close now the legislative gaps, strengthen enforcement, and build the capacity needed to effectively tackle corruption.
ALT Image of a scale with the stars of the EU flag on one side of the scale. The European Commission 2026 Rule of Law Report is out. To tackle corruption effectively, Member States need to close the gaps between commitments and action. Transparency International.