# European Parliament greenlights the first EU-wide anti-corruption directive

Date: 2026

On 26 March 2026 the European Parliament endorsed the deal with the Council on the first directive harmonising the fight against corruption across the EU, by 581 votes to 21 with 42 abstentions. The text, provisionally agreed in December 2025, harmonises definitions and penalties for corruption offences and requires member states to establish or designate independent specialised anti-corruption bodies, which will then have 24 months to transpose it into national law.

## Drivers

- Anti-corruption enforcement capacity: https://factrail.ai/drivers/gov-anti-corruption-enforcement
- State capture pressure: https://factrail.ai/drivers/gov-state-capture-pressure

## Sources

_Sources are listed on the canonical page._

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/gov-fact-eu-anti-corruption-directive-parliament-2026