European Commission officials announced on Friday that a comprehensive set of anti‑corruption measures will be presented before the end of the year. The package is designed to reinforce the European Public Prosecutor Office (EPPO) and overhaul the EU’s anti‑fraud system.

Democracy commissioner Michael McGrath told reporters in Brussels that an assessment of the EPPO has been completed and its findings will be incorporated into a revision of the office’s founding regulation later this year. The EPPO, based in Luxembourg, already has the authority to launch criminal investigations into fraud that harms the EU budget. The proposed reforms would broaden its jurisdiction, increase its funding and expand its staff.

One of the key proposals under discussion is a substantial investment in sophisticated IT tools for real‑time monitoring and shared risk analysis, a request the EPPO made last year. The office also seeks to employ artificial‑intelligence applications to spot suspicious patterns and identify high‑risk transactions across member states.

The Commission’s plan will review all policies, rules and agencies that make up the EU’s anti‑fraud framework. It aims to improve coordination between bodies such as the European Anti‑Fraud Office (OLAF) and national authorities, closing gaps that allow misuse of public funds. Enhancing the EPPO and modernising digital tools are seen as essential to protect the €1.8 trillion budget for 2024‑2030.

National contexts and challenges

Hungary, which recently joined the EPPO, is dealing with allegations that large sums of EU money were diverted during the tenure of former prime minister Viktor Orbán. The new Hungarian administration under Prime Minister Peter Magyar has abolished the “sovereignty protection office” that was used to target civil‑society groups. The Commission’s rule‑of‑law report, however, notes that obstacles to independent NGOs persist and that comprehensive lobbying legislation is still lacking.

The report also highlights that many EU member states are lagging behind on implementing lobbying and revolving‑door regulations. Denmark, despite a low perception of corruption, has no current plans to set formal limits on former ministers moving to private‑sector jobs. Sweden has only recently required lobbyists to disclose their contacts with politicians, and Spain’s draft law intended to tighten lobbying and government transparency remains stuck in parliament. Deficiencies in the transparency of political‑party financing are also pointed out.

New national whistleblower agencies are operating with insufficient budgets and personnel, limiting their impact. Trade unions and consumer organisations have urged the inclusion of strong enforcement measures to avoid the reforms becoming merely symbolic.

Implications and timetable

If adopted, the proposals could change how the EU detects, investigates and prosecises fraud, giving the EPPO additional duties and improving data sharing across borders. The reforms are presented as offering taxpayers stronger protection against loss of public funds, but they may also impose more demanding compliance obligations on businesses.

Parliamentary discussion of the proposals is slated for early 2025, and the Commission intends to complete the legislative package before the end of 2024.