The European Union and Ethical Standards

 

Corruption scandals in Europe led to the creation of an official body of the European Union. Impetus for the establishment of the Interinstitutional Ethics Body (IBES) came after a cash-for-influence investigation involving European Union officials accused of taking bribes from Qatar, Morocco, and Mauritania.

Eight major EU institutions and bodies signed an inter-institutional agreement in May 2024 following momentum from prior corruption scandals. Participating Institutions include the European Parliament, European Commission, Council of the EU, Court of Justice, European Central Bank, and others.

The landmark EU ethics body was to create common minimum ethical standards across its major institutions. It establishes shared, minimum ethical guidelines and transparency rules for politicians and political appointees within EU institutions such as the European Parliament and European Commission. However, it has no authority to investigate corruption. Each member state is responsible for monitoring and policing ethics violations within their own countries.

The Interinstitutional Body for Ethical Standards has had limited effectiveness since its agreement in 2024 due to institutional compromises, a lack of investigative powers, and political delays in funding and implementation. The IBES has been criticized for lack of transparency because it relies of self-coordination and is without independent oversight.

Related reading: Political corruption in Europe: A threat to more… - Transparency.org; AI systems are only as good as the procurements that select them - The Ethics Blog