Brussels, Dec 2, (dpa/GNA) – EU countries have reached a provisional deal on minimum standards, for how member states define and sanction corruption offences in their criminal code, the EU Council said in a statement on Tuesday.
The new draft law also contains measures to prevent corruption and rules for more effective investigation and prosecution.
For the first time, the laws of EU countries will define uniformly and across sectors, what constitutes corruption and how it should be punished, the EU Council said after negotiations with the European Parliament.
Throughout the EU, bribery in the public and private sectors, embezzlement and obstruction of justice will be considered criminal corruption. There will also be uniform standards for conduct in public office in future.
In addition, the new rules specify how national states must punish offences related to corruption. Offenders will face prison sentences of at least three to five years, depending on the offence. There will also be uniform rules on when public officials who are guilty of corruption lose their jobs.
To prevent crime, each EU country will set up an anti-corruption centre. Member states will also record which professions and industries are particularly affected by corruption.
German Green MEP Daniel Freund said with the new rules, the EU is preventing individual member states from simply granting immunity from prosecution for certain offences. “This is exactly what has already happened in Italy and Hungary, for example,” he said.
At the same time, he said, an opportunity has been missed because the member states were not prepared to disclose the number of corruption cases in their countries in future.
In May 2023, the European Commission made proposals for a uniform EU-wide approach to combating corruption. The agreement still has to be formally confirmed by the European Parliament and the Member States in the Council.
GNA