The European Commission has announced plans to broaden its rule-of-law agenda with a new anti-corruption strategy and closer scrutiny of member states’ compliance ahead of the next long-term EU budget.
The anti-corruption strategy, expected before the end of 2026, was announced alongside the Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report, the seventh annual edition, published on July 17. The report argues corruption poses not only a governance challenge but also a growing threat to the EU’s security, democratic resilience and economic competitiveness.
Presenting the report, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen said: “The EU’s prosperity, security and democratic resilience depend on respect for the rule of law and the Union’s common values.”
She added: “In a world with rising political polarisation, pressures on democratic institutions, on our economy and growing external threats, defending the rule of law is more than ever essential.”
Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath said the Commission would table “a series of anti-corruption initiatives” before the end of 2026, including an EU anti-corruption strategy, a review of the Union’s anti-fraud architecture and proposals to strengthen the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) following its evaluation and a further report on the Directive on the protection of the Union’s financial interests.
Alongside the anti-corruption strategy, Virkkunen highlighted the Commission’s intention to deepen the connection between rule-of-law assessments and EU funding under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
“We have strengthened the links between the Rule of Law Report’s recommendations and EU financial support,” she said, adding that the report would be “an important element when assessing compliance of Member States with rule of law”.
Under the Commission’s proposal, compliance with rule-of-law and fundamental-rights conditions would be a prerequisite for member states to receive support through the planned National and Regional Partnership Plans, with the possibility of blocking payments where those conditions are not met.
At the same time, she insisted there would be “no automaticity between the rule of law recommendation and access to EU funds”.
The Commission’s annual Rule of Law Report states that independent justice systems, effective anti-corruption frameworks, media freedom and institutional checks and balances are essential to maintaining public trust, attracting investment and protecting the EU’s budget.
The report reviews all 27 EU member states and four candidate countries, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, across those four areas. It found that 47 per cent of the recommendations issued to member states in 2025 had since been addressed fully or partially, with at least limited progress on a further 23 per cent.
Reforms are also under way in member states to align national laws with the European Media Freedom Act, which began to apply in August 2025. The Commission said binding obligations under that act had replaced several media-related recommendations previously issued through the report.
According to Commission officials, the new strategy will build on the 2023 anti-corruption package, the Anti-Corruption Directive, which entered into force on May 31, 2026, the EU Network against Corruption, the annual Rule of Law Report, the Conditionality Regulation, the ProtectEU strategy and the European Democracy Shield initiative.
The Commission has argued that corrupt practices can facilitate organised crime and be exploited by hostile foreign actors seeking to undermine democratic institutions.
The strategy is expected to cover prevention, public awareness, integrity standards, whistleblower protection, asset recovery, international cooperation and stronger coordination between EU agencies including EPPO, Europol, Eurojust and the EU’s anti-fraud office, OLAF.
The anti-corruption initiative forms part of a broader rule-of-law drive. The latest Rule of Law Report concludes that, while many member states have made progress on judicial reform, anti-corruption measures and media freedom, differences remain across the bloc.
