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European Commission proposes the first EU-wide anti-corruption directive

On 3 May 2023 the European Commission presented an anti-corruption package centred on a proposed directive to harmonise the definition of and penalties for corruption offences across all member states, covering bribery, misappropriation, trading in influence and obstruction of justice, and requiring member states to set up independent specialised anti-corruption bodies.

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On 3 May 2023 the European Commission presented an anti-corruption package centred on a proposed directive to harmonise the definition of and penalties for corruption offences across all member states, covering bribery, misappropriation, trading in influence and obstruction of justice, and requiring member states to set up independent specialised anti-corruption bodies. Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová, who fronted the package, said it would 'raise the bar in terms of EU-wide definitions and penalties' and warned that 'corruption is killing our democracy.'

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • European Commission

    Organization

    Direct responsibility

    verified

    Institutional originator of the harmonised anti-corruption proposal.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorEuropean Commission
  2. contributed toFactEuropean Commission proposes the first EU-wide anti-corruption directive
  3. sets in motionDriverAnti-corruption enforcement capacity
  4. strengthensIndicatorCorruption Perceptions Index — Georgia

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). European Commission proposes the first EU-wide anti-corruption directive. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/gov-fact-eu-anti-corruption-directive-proposed-2023

https://factrail.ai/facts/gov-fact-eu-anti-corruption-directive-proposed-2023

Accessed 15 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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