EU to Speed Up Lifting of Immunity in Crackdown on Corruption

Lyubov Pronina and Stephanie Bodoni
·2 min read

(Bloomberg) -- The European Union’s executive proposed stricter rules aimed at lifting immunity in criminal investigations faster as part of an overhaul of anti-corruption laws amid scandals such as the Qatar bribery affair that’s roiled the bloc’s own parliament.

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Under the plans, EU nations would need to adhere to minimum requirements to ensure “that privileges and immunity can be lifted during corruption investigations” and that police and prosecutors “have appropriate investigative tools to fight corruption.”

“Corruption is like a cancer — if left to run rampant, it will suffocate our democratic society and destroy its institutions,” European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said in a statement. The overhaul “will raise the bar for EU-wide definitions and penalties of corruption crimes and will help authorities to catch and punish the criminals, be it from public or private sector.”

While Jourova says corruption remains an issue across the 27-nation EU, it’s also tarnished the image of the European institutions after it emerged late last year that some European Parliament members were suspected of taking bribes in return for pushing Qatar’s agenda in EU-level discussions. The assembly’s then-Vice President Eva Kaili is among those still under an investigation by Belgian prosecutors.

Two-thirds of EU citizens are convinced that corruption is widespread in their country and only 30% have faith in their government to fight it efficiently, told reporters in a briefing, citing data the EU’s been collecting.

The EU plans to create a list of people from non-EU nations involved in corruption to be followed by travel bans and freezing their assets, and set up an ethics body to help set anti-corruption standards.

“In the time of war, I think it is more than needed to have something in reserve to punish people who serve Russia openly and who are being paid for that,” she said.

The EU’s proposal still needs the approval of nations and EU lawmakers. Member states would then be expected to apply the measures or risk EU court action.

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