International newsletter of the HATVP May– June 2026
IN BRIEF
In May 2026, Europe Day was celebrated on 9 May. This year’s celebrations marked the 76th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, which laid the foundations for the European Union, as well as two significant milestones: the 40th anniversary of Portugal and Spain’s accession to the European Union and the 40th anniversary of the official celebration of Europe Day. May also saw a meeting of members of the European Network for Public Ethics on 27 May and the entry into force of the EU Anti-Corruption Directive on 31 May.
In June 2026, the European Commission published the 2026 edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard, which reports an improvement in the perceived independence and efficiency of justice systems. On 4 June, the annual conference of the European Lobbying Registrars Network was held in Helsinki, organised by the National Audit Office of Finland. On 10 and 11 June, the European Anti-Corruption Network met in Brussels to discuss the EU’s future anti-corruption strategy. On 29 June, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published its 2026 Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions, which highlights a stabilisation in trust in national government across OECD countries.
EUROPEAN UNION (EU)
Council of the European Union
On 29 June 2026, the Council of the European Union appointed two new prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) for France and Spain, for a non-renewable six-year term, starting in July 2026. These appointments form part of a partial renewal of EPPO College, involving the replacement of seven European prosecutors whose mandates expire in July 2026. European Prosecutors oversee investigations and prosecutions and, together with the European Chief Prosecutor, form the College of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Council appoints one European Prosecutor per participating Member State. The EPPO is an independent body of the EU responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing crimes against the financial interests of the Union (e.g. fraud, corruption, cross-border VAT fraud above €10 million) to judgment. By the end of 2025, the EPPO had 3 602 active investigations, for a total estimated damage of over €67.27 billion. (Council of the EU, 29 June 2026)
European Council
On 22 June 2026, the second EU–Moldova summit was held in Brussels, marking a new stage in relations between the EU and the Republic of Moldova and highlighting the progress the country has made towards EU membership. On 15 June 2026, at the second EU-Moldova accession conference, the EU and Moldova opened negotiations on cluster 1, the ‘fundamentals’ cluster. This cluster covers the core values and principles on which the EU is built. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, António Costa, President of the European Council, and Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, discussed the next steps in Moldova’s accession process and the deepening of its gradual integration into the Union. They also emphasised Moldova’s determination to strengthen the rule of law and fundamental rights. (European Council, 22 June 2026)
European Commission
The European Directive on combating corruption officially came into force on 31 May 2026. Adopted on 21 April 2026, this directive forms part of a wider anti-corruption programme, alongside the EU’s anti-corruption strategy, for which the Commission launched a public consultation and a call for evidence from 11 May to 6 July 2026. (European Commission, 11 May 2026 and 1 June 2026)
On 4 June 2026, the Commission published the 2026 edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard, an annual report providing comparative data on the efficiency, quality, and independence of the justice systems among EU Member States. This edition shows that perceptions of the independence and efficiency of justice systems have improved. It highlights the essential role of effective justice systems and independent authorities in fostering a fair and competitive environment, including data on key actors of the Single Market. The 2026 Scoreboard also presents figures relating to the fight against corruption, covering, for example, the length of judicial proceedings in bribery cases and the functioning of national transparency registers. The Scoreboard shows that 16 Member States have such a register in place and presents an overview of how they work. The EU Justice Scoreboard findings contribute to the monitoring carried out within the framework of the Annual Rule of Law Cycle and the European Semester. They will inform the Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report, as well as the final stages of the national Recovery and Resilience Plans. (European Commission, 4 June 2026)
On 10 and 11 June 2026, the European Anti-Corruption Network organised a thematic workshop in Brussels focusing on the EU’s anti-corruption strategy. The meeting brought together Member States, specialist agencies, researchers and civil society organisations, who were able to discuss, amongst other things, the future European strategy, the sectors to be prioritised and the Network’s role in this context. (HATVP, 6 July 2026)
European Ombudswoman
On 25 June 2026, the European Ombudsman launched an investigation into the lack of public disclosure of the declarations of interests submitted by judges and Advocates General at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The Court currently distinguishes between ‘administrative’ (publishable) and ‘judicial’ (non-publishable) documents and considers that the declarations of interests of its members constitute documents of a judicial nature. The European Ombudsman’s inquiry should shed light on how the Court distinguishes between documents relating to its judicial and administrative activities and the resulting publicity. (European Ombudswoman, 25 June 2026)
European Parliament
On 17 June 2026, the European Parliament reviewed the EU accession progress of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro.
Parliament welcomed the rapid progress made by Albania in recent years and called on the authorities to ensure the full implementation of the legislation adopted, as well as to strengthen the rule of law and consolidate anti-corruption reforms. (European Parliament, 17 June 2026)
MEPs reaffirmed their support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU accession on the basis of unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. They called for reforms to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions, uphold the rule of law, fight corruption and organised crime, and guarantee fundamental rights for all citizens. (European Parliament, 17 June 2026)
Parliament welcomed Kosovo’s continued commitment to the country’s EU membership application. MEPs called on the Kosovar government to accelerate EU-related reforms, particularly in the areas of the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and the fight against corruption. (European Parliament, 17 June 2026)
MEPs welcome Montenegro’s steady progress on EU-related reforms, underpinned by its ambition to complete negotiations by the end of 2026 and become the EU’s 28th member state by 2028. (European Parliament, 17 June 2026)
Parliament underlined its full support for North Macedonia’s commitment to EU membership, stressing that progress on accession negotiations continues to depend on lasting and in-depth reforms. MEPs regretted the lack of progress since 2025’s report, especially on the rule of law, judicial reform and the fight against corruption. (European Parliament, 17 June 2026)
On 23 June 2026, the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) adopted its own-initiative report by 20 votes in favour, 9 against and 2 abstentions. Its findings and recommendations included proposals aimed at better equipping the EU to combat foreign interference, hybrid threats and disinformation, to protect free and independent media, and to combat online electoral interference. Furthermore, MEPs supported the creation of an EU Centre for Democratic Resilience, with a legal mandate and a dedicated budget. Unveiled in November 2025, the European Democracy Shield is an initiative aimed at strengthening the Union’s democratic resilience by focusing on three priorities: safeguarding the integrity of the information space by enhancing the capacity to respond to threats; supporting democratic institutions and independent media; and strengthening citizens’ engagement. The report will be put to a vote in Parliament during the September plenary session. (European Parliament, 23 June 2026)
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
Council of Europe
In May 2026, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) closed its 5th evaluation round concerning Slovenia, in light of the progress achieved in implementing recommendations on preventing corruption within top executive functions in central government and law enforcement agencies. In a report published on 6 May 2026, GRECO concludes that Slovenia has satisfactorily implemented or dealt with in a satisfactory manner 12 of the 15 recommendations addressed in its evaluation report adopted in 2017. Further efforts are needed to enhance transparency (publication of declarations) and the verification of financial disclosures, which are the subject of the three remaining recommendations that have been partly implemented. As for persons entrusted with top executive functions, lobbying guidelines have been updated to clarify legislative provisions. The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption continues to play a key role in overseeing the implementation of lobbying rules, including maintaining the register, monitoring activities, raising awareness and enforcing compliance. Several measures to strengthen integrity and prevent conflicts of interest are under way, including a draft Protocol on the conduct of government members for the management of corruption risks and a new Action Plan for the implementation of the resolution on the prevention of corruption. With regard to awareness-raising, an introductory training course on ethics, integrity and transparency is currently being developed and is intended for all newly appointed public officials within six months of taking office. (GRECO, 6 May 2026)
From 18 to 22 May 2026, delegation of four GRECO evaluators (Cyprus, Estonia, Luxembourg and Serbia) together with two members of the Secretariat, visited the Netherlands to conduct the on-site evaluation under GRECO’s 6th round, which focuses on preventing corruption and promoting integrity at the subnational level. Amsterdam City, the capital, and the Province of Flevoland volunteered to participate in this evaluation. GRECO will examine the evaluation report assessing the situation in the country and in the two selected subnational authorities at its plenary in November 2026. (GRECO, 22 May 2026)
On 26 May 2026, GRECO made public its 5th round second compliance report on Greece, setting out an assessment of the progress made by the country in implementing GRECO’s recommendations to prevent corruption and promote integrity in central government (top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies. GRECO concluded that Greece has satisfactorily implemented 6 of the 17 recommendations set out in the 5th cycle evaluation report. The remaining 11 recommendations have been partly implemented. Progress has been made in various key areas relating to top executive functions: several codes of conduct have been adopted and published, and the oversight of financial disclosures has been strengthened through the work of the Audit Committee. (GRECO, 26 May 2026)
From 8 to 12 June 2026, GRECO held its 103rd plenary meeting in Strasbourg. At this meeting, GRECO adopted 6th evaluation round reports on Luxembourg, Slovenia and the United Kingdom on the prevention of corruption and promotion of integrity at the sub-national level. GRECO also adopted compliance reports on Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Poland on the prevention of corruption in respect of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors, as well as on Armenia, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro and Serbia on the prevention of corruption and the promotion of integrity in central governments (top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies. The Plenary also held a roundtable discussion on practical lessons learned from the first evaluations conducted under the 6th evaluation round and exchanged views on GRECO’s contribution to the European Union’s forthcoming Anti-Corruption Strategy. GRECO’s 104th plenary meeting will take place from 16 to 20 November 2026. (GRECO, 16 June 2026)
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
On 29 June 2026, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) unveiled the 2026 edition of its Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions, carried out across 33 OECD countries and 5 OECD accession candidate countries in 2025. The report notes that overall trust levels in national government have stabilised in OECD countries, following an earlier decline. 40% of people surveyed in OECD countries report high or moderately high trust in their national government, on average, while 43% continue to report low or no trust. The report also shows that one of the key determinants of trust is citizens’ sense that they are effectively involved in political decision-making. (OECD, 29 June 2026)
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS
Transparency International
On 24 June 2026, Transparency International published a report, based on an analysis of 20 countries, focusing on the role of financial intelligence units (FIUs) in the fight against corruption, money laundering and financial crime. The report identifies the main obstacles that continue to limit the work of FIUs and sets out recommendations to strengthen their contribution to the fight against corruption. The NGO highlights the crucial role played by the financial intelligence produced by the French financial intelligence unit, Tracfin, in detecting cases of international corruption. (Transparency International, 24 June 2026)
Corporate Europe Observatory / LobbyControl
On 11 June 2026, the non-governmental organisations Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl published the 2026 ranking of corporate lobbyists at the EU. The report reveals that the 173 leading sectoral lobbyists (all those with a declared budget for influencing policy of more than €1 million) spend nearly €380 million annually on lobbying the European Union Institutions. The budgets allocated by these bodies have increased by 50% compared with 2020, and the number of registered sector-specific organisations has risen by nearly 30% over the same time period. Big Tech players top the sector-by-sector ranking, with €73 million in reported annual expenditure, followed by the finance, energy and chemicals sectors. (Corporate Europe Observatory, 11 June 2026)
NETWORKS
European Network for Public Ethics
On 27 May 2026, members of the European Network for Public Ethics (ENPE) held a videoconference to discuss risk assessment and the next steps for the Network. Members also pondered the recent adoption of the European Directive on combating corruption and the prospects for its transposition by Member States. (ENPE, 28 May 2026)
European Lobbying Registrars Network
On 4 June 2026, the annual conference of the European Lobbying Registrars Network (ELRN) was held in Helsinki, organised by the National Audit Office of Finland. Members of the Network were able to present recent developments relating to certain national lobbying registers, the regulation of foreign influence and the EU Transparency Register. They also discussed the network’s future and prospects for expanding it to include new members who have adopted a framework for regulating lobbying. (HATVP, 23 June 2026)
Francophone Network for Parliamentary Ethics and Professional Conduct
On 4 June 2026, members of the Francophone Network for Parliamentary Ethics and Professional Conduct (RFEDP) came together for a webinar on ‘Training for parliamentarians: how to make ethical rules accessible and foster the development of an ethical mindset’. The session was chaired by Rémi Schenberg, ethics officer at the French National Assembly. Members benefited from presentations on national training programmes by several delegations and were able to share feedback and best practices. (RFEDP, 4 June 2026)
EUROPE
Bulgaria
On 29 May 2026, the Bulgarian parliament approved a bill establishing a new commission of inquiry into corruption, the prevention of conflicts of interest and the monitoring of senior officials’ assets. The adoption of this law, drafted by the Bulgarian caretaker government, was one of the conditions set by Brussels for the release of European funds. This new anti-corruption body, which succeeds previously existing commissions that have since been disbanded, will consist of a chairperson and five members, each serving a non-renewable five-year term. The chairmanship will rotate annually. The members will be appointed by the President of the Republic, Parliament, the Supreme Bar Council and the general assemblies of the Court of Cassation and the Supreme Administrative Court. The bill provides that the fight against corruption is to be carried out through monitoring, investigations into corruption offences, and the verification and analysis of the information contained in non-compliance reports. The commission will be a permanent, independent and specialised public body responsible for preventing and combating corruption amongst those holding public office. The text sets out 52 categories of public officials falling within its remit, including the President and Vice-President, Members of Parliament, ministers and constitutional judges. Every six months, the Commission will be required to report to the National Assembly and submit an annual report on its activities. (Radio Bulgaria, 29 May 2026)
Hungary
On 23 June 2026, Hungarian MPs approved measures to tackle corruption, which form part of the reforms introduced by the new Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, and are also expected to enable the country to access European funds that are currently frozen. The law, passed by 142 votes in favour, 39 against and 3 abstentions, expands the legal powers of the Integrity Authority, an anti-corruption body established in late 2022 as part of the corrective measures in response to breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary, as identified by the EU. Under the new provisions, this body will monitor declarations of assets, will be able to request anti-corruption investigations from the judiciary, and will be able to suspend procurement procedures in order to protect European funds. The legislation also introduces stricter transparency requirements regarding the ownership structure of private equity funds and strengthens the rules on annual financial disclosures by politicians, imposing criminal penalties for deliberate omissions. (Euractiv, 23 June 2026)