European Parliament Adopts Anti-Corruption Law Negotiated By David Casa

The European Parliament has today voted overwhelmingly to approve the EU’s most ambitious anti-corruption directive to date, according to David Casa, Head of the Maltese EPP Delegation.

Casa, who served as the lead negotiator on behalf of the EPP Group, concluded several months of complex negotiations to secure the directive’s passage.

The legislation introduces stringent and unified standards across all EU Member States.

It establishes rules on statutes of limitations and penalties, introduces a comprehensive prevention package, and provides the European Commission with a legal framework to evaluate how effectively individual countries combat corruption.

Casa explained that, for the first time, the Commission now has an objective toolkit to assess Member States’ anti-corruption measures, emphasising the directive’s significance as a fundamental rule of law concern.

Despite opposition from the Council of the European Union, which represents national governments, the directive passed, sending a clear signal that corruption will not be tolerated.

Casa noted in a plenary speech that the legislation demonstrates that corrupt politicians cannot cover for one another and that European institutions are united in holding public officials to account.

The directive will require changes to national legal systems, including in Malta, where the government is now legally obliged to update criminal statutes to codify offences relating to the abuse of power.

Casa stressed the relevance of the law to Malta, highlighting that previous calls following the Daphne Caruana Galizia inquiry for stronger anti-corruption legislation had been ignored.

He stated that the directive now compels action and will strengthen criminal statutes. Casa appealed for continued vigilance, recognising the risks taken by journalists and citizens exposing corruption.

With the directive approved, the next focus will be on enforcement, ensuring that all Member States, particularly Malta, fully transpose the rules into national law to rebuild public trust in political institutions.

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