21/04/2026 (Agence Europe) – Following the green light from the European Parliament (see EUROPE 13837/3), on Tuesday 21 April the Council of the European Union definitively adopted the directive aimed at harmonising the fight against corruption in the EU. This new legislative framework replaces obsolete texts from 1997 and 2003 and now covers both the public and private sectors. The text uniformly defines key offences such as trading in influence, obstruction of justice and illicit enrichment, and introduces minimum criminal penalties ranging from three to five years’ imprisonment. Companies are not spared, as they risk fines of up to 5% of their global revenue. Aligned with UN standards, this directive also requires the creation of specialised bodies and national prevention strategies. Member States have 24 months to transpose these measures into national law. (JM)