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The EU's New Anti-Corruption Directive: A Landmark Reform with Unresolved Tensions
After decades of fragmented and largely ineffective supranational efforts, the European Union has taken a decisive step forward in the fight against corruption. Directive (EU) 2026/1021 of 21 April 2026 on combating corruption (the "Directive") establishes a common legal framework applicable across all Member States, replacing instruments that had long since demonstrated their limitations. While the Directive represents a genuine structural advance, its ambitions are tempered by a number of concessions that raise questions about its long-term operational effectiveness.