EU lawmakers push crypto onto anti-corruption agenda

The European Parliament has formally urged the European Commission to incorporate corruption risks associated with crypto assets and opaque ownership structures into its upcoming anti-corruption strategy. In a nonbinding resolution adopted by MEPs, lawmakers highlighted how digital tools and crypto can create new channels for illicit finance and called for the Commission to address those vulnerabilities when drafting policy. Alongside digital-assets concerns, MEPs pressed for stronger measures to trace, freeze, confiscate and recover proceeds of crime. The resolution sets asset recovery as a central priority, seeking enhanced powers and cross-border coordination to reclaim criminal gains within the EU. MEPs also recommended tighter standards in several areas of public governance. Proposals include stricter rules for public procurement and grants, harmonized conflict-of-interest standards, clearer lobbying rules and common rules for political financing. The resolution additionally urged stronger legal and practical protections for whistleblowers and investigative journalists involved in exposing corruption. The Commission’s forthcoming strategy is intended to complement the blocwide anti-corruption directive that entered into force in May, which established harmonized definitions of corruption offenses and minimum penalties across member states. According to the resolution, the Executive should integrate digital-era risks and enhanced asset-recovery mechanisms into the broader fight against corruption. The European Commission plans to adopt its anti-corruption strategy by the end of 2026.