EU lawmakers target crypto and opaque ownership in corruption fight

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution laying out its wish list for the bloc’s first-ever comprehensive anti-corruption strategy. The resolution, passed by a show of hands during a plenary session, calls on the European Commission to tackle everything from conflicts of interest and opaque political financing to the misuse of crypto assets and golden visa schemes. A European Parliament research study estimated that stronger EU action against corruption could save up to 58.5 billion euros per year. A 2025 Eurobarometer survey found that 69% of Europeans believe corruption is widespread in their own country. Europol estimates that nearly 60% of criminal networks engage in corruption in some form. Prevention measures MEPs want evidence-based corruption risk mapping and stronger rules around public procurement, grants, and transparency. They are pushing for more harmonized standards on conflicts of interest, gift policies, sponsored travel, asset declarations, and the revolving door phenomenon. The Parliament also wants common rules on political financing, with particular attention to political foundations and intermediaries. EU institutions themselves, the Parliament argues, ...