The European Commission convened a two‑day EU Network against Corruption workshop in Brussels on 10–11 June 2026 to shape the bloc’s first comprehensive anti‑corruption strategy, integrating prevention, enforcement, integrity and international cooperation. As reported by EuReporter, the event gathered member states, EU bodies, civil society and academia to debate risk assessment, criminalisation, cross‑border cooperation and data‑driven detection ahead of the strategy’s expected adoption in late 2026.
EU anti-corruption strategy: Brussels workshop maps prevention, enforcement and whole‑of‑society approach
The European Commission has advanced preparations for its first EU‑wide anti‑corruption strategy after hosting a thematic workshop of the EU Network against Corruption in Brussels on 10–11 June 2026. As reported by EuReporter, the two‑day meeting brought together representatives of member states, EU institutions and bodies, civil society organisations and academia to develop a more coherent and comprehensive EU approach to combating corruption.
The future strategy builds on the European Commission’s 2023 Joint Communication on the fight against corruption and seeks to unite prevention, enforcement, institutional integrity and international cooperation within a single strategic framework, EuReporter noted. The workshop formed part of the Commission’s broader consultation process, which also includes a Call for Evidence, an Open Public Consultation and targeted stakeholder consultations, according to the same report.
Day one: member states and EU bodies focus on enforcement and prevention
Opening and core themes
Day one, dedicated to member states and EU bodies, was opened by Marie‑Hélène Boulanger, Acting Director for Rule of Law, Fundamental Rights and Democracy at the European Commission, EuReporter reported. Discussions centred on the key elements of an overarching EU anti‑corruption approach, including the implementation of Directive (EU) 2026/1021, the outlet noted.
Participants highlighted the importance of preventive measures, particularly risk assessment, as a cornerstone of effective anti‑corruption policies, according to EuReporter’s account of the workshop. The session also examined the enforcement dimension of the EU anti‑corruption framework, covering the effective criminalisation, detection, investigation and prosecution of corruption offences, as well as the role of cross‑border cooperation and information exchange, EuReporter wrote.
Directive (EU) 2026/1021 and transposition timelines
The workshop’s focus on Directive (EU) 2026/1021 reflects the measure’s central role in harmonising corruption offences and penalties across the EU. As reported by PLMJ, the directive was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 11 May 2026 and entered into force on 31 May 2026, with member states required to transpose the criminal law provisions by 1 June 2028 and specific preventive measures, including sector‑based risk assessments and national anti‑corruption strategies, by 1 June 2029.
Legal analysts note that the directive establishes minimum rules for defining criminal offences and penalties relating to corruption, alongside measures to improve prevention and enforcement capacity, PLMJ stated. The International Bar Association has described the directive as the first comprehensive EU criminal law framework to address corruption across all member states, introducing turnover‑based penalties for legal persons and a dual‑track corporate liability model.
Day two: civil society and academia push whole‑of‑society integrity culture
Opening and participation
Day two expanded participation to include civil society organisations and academia and was opened by Irena Moozová, Deputy Director‑General of DG Justice at the European Commission, EuReporter reported. The session centred on developing a whole‑of‑society approach to combating corruption, recognising the role of education, research, civil society, the media and other stakeholders in fostering a culture of integrity, the outlet noted.
Data, detection and gaps
Discussions also looked at better use of data to detect corruption risks and analyse gaps, according to EuReporter’s summary of the second day. This emphasis aligns with broader EU efforts to strengthen evidence‑based policy and improve the monitoring of corruption trends across sectors and borders, as reflected in the Commission’s ongoing consultation process for the strategy, EuReporter added.
Strategy timeline and consultation process
Public consultation and adoption window
The workshop formed part of the Commission’s broader consultation process for the preparation of the strategy, which includes a Call for Evidence, an Open Public Consultation and targeted stakeholder consultations, EuReporter stated. According to PLMJ, the public consultation on the future
“EU Strategy to prevent and fight corruption 2027–2030”
closed in July 2026, with adoption of the EU anti‑corruption strategy scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.
Strategic scope and objectives
The Union’s first anti‑corruption strategy, entitled “EU Strategy to prevent and fight corruption 2027–2030”, aims to complement the directive with a political and preventive approach, PLMJ noted. The strategy is expected to bring together prevention, enforcement, institutional integrity and international cooperation within a single framework, building on the 2023 Joint Communication on the fight against corruption, as EuReporter reported.
Enforcement, criminalisation and cross‑border cooperation
Offences and penalties under the directive
Directive (EU) 2026/1021 spells out eight offences that every member state must criminalise: bribery in the public and private sectors, misappropriation, trading in influence, unlawful exercise of public functions, obstruction of justice, enrichment from corruption and concealment, according to analysis by business ethics speaker Chuck Gallagher cited on LinkedIn. For the most serious offences, including public and private sector bribery and misappropriation, member states must ensure maximum fines of no less than five per cent of a company’s total worldwide annual turnover or, alternatively, a fixed amount corresponding to €40m, the International Bar Association reported.
Cross‑border cooperation and information exchange
The workshop examined the enforcement dimension of the EU anti‑corruption framework, with discussions covering the effective criminalisation, detection, investigation and prosecution of corruption offences, as well as the role of cross‑border cooperation and information exchange, EuReporter wrote. This focus dovetails with wider EU plans to tighten links between the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the anti‑fraud office OLAF, Europol and Eurojust, as officials have signalled in parallel anti‑fraud and anti‑corruption initiatives, The European Post reported.
Prevention, risk assessment and national strategies
Risk assessment as a cornerstone
Participants at the workshop highlighted the importance of preventive measures, particularly risk assessment, as a cornerstone of effective anti‑corruption policies, EuReporter noted. Under the directive, member states are required to conduct periodic sector‑based risk assessments and ensure that anti‑corruption bodies can act without unjustified interference, NautaDutilh explained.
National anti‑corruption strategies and deadlines
The directive requires member states to adopt and publish a national anti‑corruption strategy, with a 36‑month deadline for provisions on risk assessments and national strategies, according to eucrim and NautaDutilh. PLMJ specified that member states must implement specific preventive measures, including sector‑specific risk assessments and national anti‑corruption strategies, by 1 June 2029.
Corporate liability, compliance and business impact
Turnover‑based fines and corporate liability
The EU Anti‑Corruption Directive raises the bar on corporate liability by introducing turnover‑based penalties, with fines ranging from three to five per cent of total worldwide annual turnover, or fixed minimum maximums of €24m to €40m depending on the gravity of the offence, CIVAC reported. The directive’s dual‑track corporate liability model treats compliance programmes as a structured mitigating circumstance rather than a defence to liability, the International Bar Association noted.
Compliance priorities for companies
Legal advisers urge companies to prioritise risk mapping, compliance programme reviews, third‑party due diligence, supervision and audit, and documentation of effectiveness ahead of the 2028 transposition deadline, PLMJ stated. The directive does not bind companies immediately, as it requires national transposition by 1 June 2028, CIVAC explained.
Broader EU anti‑fraud and anti‑corruption architecture
Anti‑fraud plans and institutional coordination
The new drive builds on an anti‑corruption directive that entered into force on 31 May 2026 and on the earlier 2023 anti‑corruption package, The European Post reported. Brussels plans to answer with a package of anti‑fraud and anti‑corruption measures before the end of 2026, including an EU anti‑corruption strategy, a review of the Union’s anti‑fraud architecture and a revision of the regulation governing the prosecutor’s office, the outlet added.
Budget protection and prosecutorial cooperation
The Commission wants each capital to adopt a written anti‑fraud plan and to cooperate more closely with EU bodies that chase misused funds, as prosecutors warn of criminal damage to the EU budget running into tens of billions of euros, The European Post wrote. Officials have signalled tighter webbing between EPPO, OLAF, Europol and Eurojust to improve detection, investigation and recovery of misused funds, the outlet noted.
