The European Commission presented a request to the Council of Europe (COE) on Thursday 6 June for the European Union to become an observer in the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO).
"The European Union's participation in the GRECO as an observer would bring the European Union and Council of Europe closer. It would also reinforce our joint efforts to strengthen the rule of law", said Dimitris Avramapoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, in a statement.
"Corruption is an insidious threat to the security of European citizens and the health of our democracies and our economies. We need to work together – both at grassroots and also at international levels – to effectively combat this phenomenon. Being able to participate in the framework created by the Council of Europe is the right step forward." he added.
As an observer, the EU will be able to attend all meetings of the Group of States against Corruption and access all its working documents.
The Commission has asked GRECO to examine the EU's request at its next plenary session, scheduled for 17-21 June, after a high-level conference organised for its twentieth anniversary and attended by Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)