New EU interinstitutional body for ethical standards

Summary:

Transparency and ethical rules are essential to preserve citizens' confidence in public institutions. Corruption, defined by Transparency International as 'the abuse of entrusted power for private gain', is a threat for every country – and for the European Union (EU) institutions. According to a 2023 Eurobarometer survey, 70 % of the Europeans interviewed believed that corruption was widespread, and almost 75 % thought that there was corruption in the public institutions in their own country. At the same time, practices that may seem to represent less serious criminal behaviour, such as 'revolving doors' and conflicts of interests, are also detrimental to the democratic process, as they favour private instead of public interest and can potentially undermine trust in governments and institutions. High ethical standards in public administrations are an integral part of good governance, and like good governance they are an important pillar of democracy, one that the EU must uphold. The EU has a solid set of rules for EU officials and civil servants and, over time, has improved the ethical rules for members of its institutions, bodies and agencies. However, this framework is still fragmented and not always enforced robustly. Meanwhile the integrity of the European institutions is sometimes called into question, especially in the wake of major scandals. To address these concerns, in 2021, the European Parliament pushed for a unified and strong independent ethics body common to all EU institutions. The European Commission responded with a proposal for an interinstitutional body for ethical standards, which was adopted in May 2024.

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