The Council of Europe has once again reprimanded Spain for insufficient compliance with anti-corruption measures concerning high-ranking officials. This is according to the latest annual report by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), published on Thursday. The warning comes at a critical time for Spain, which is currently facing several corruption cases, including the prominent Ábalos case.
Spain’s Anti-Corruption Deficiencies in Focus
The GRECO report highlights that Spain, similar to Germany, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden, is not adequately implementing anti-corruption measures for high-ranking officials. The case of Germany, in particular, which was adopted as the latest case due to “insufficient progress” in implementing Council of Europe recommendations, underscores the urgency of the situation.
Already in April, GRECO warned that the Spanish government had only partially or not at all followed some of the 19 recommendations. The body, which is not an institution of the European Union, urges Spain to “take decisive measures to achieve tangible progress as soon as possible.” Should there be no response, further pressure mechanisms could be activated, including sending a mission to Spain or a direct request to the Minister of Foreign Affairs by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
Calls for Reforms: Immunity and Party Funding
A central point of the recommendations for Spain is the amendment of the immunity procedure that benefits government members suspected of corruption. GRECO demands that this procedure must not hinder judicial activity. This is particularly relevant for cases such as Ábalos and other recent corruption scandals in Spain.
Furthermore, GRECO calls for comprehensive legislative reforms to close gaps in the transparency of political funding. This is to be achieved by introducing stricter enforcement mechanisms and deterrent sanctions for violations of political funding regulations. The report emphasizes that events in recent years have highlighted the need to improve mechanisms for ensuring transparency and updating existing anti-corruption regulations for party and election campaign financing.
Global Challenges and the Fight Against Corruption
David Meyer, President of GRECO, emphasizes the critical situation in the global fight against corruption: “The global fight against corruption is at a critical juncture. While significant progress has been made in strengthening anti-corruption frameworks, challenges persist, particularly concerning law enforcement, transparency, and threats to judicial independence. Addressing these challenges requires renewed urgency and sustained political will at the national level.”
Meyer also pointed to the impact of geopolitical shifts, economic instability, and technological advancements on corruption risks. Elections in several member states have also raised “integrity issues,” including allegations of undue influence, irregular financing, and foreign interference, underscoring the need to protect democratic processes through effective anti-corruption frameworks.
Progress and Persistent Shortcomings: A Look at the Numbers
The report identifies areas within law enforcement that require particular attention, including the declaration of assets, income, liabilities, and interests, rotation and mobility policies, recruitment requirements, appointment procedures, and integrity checks.
Overall, GRECO notes in its annual report that the recommendations continue to be inadequately implemented. By the end of 2024, reports on 26 states assessing compliance with these recommendations had been published. Of GRECO’s recommendations concerning the overarching executive functions of central governments, 63% were fully or partially implemented (compared to 58% at the end of 2023). For law enforcement, the proportion of fully or partially implemented recommendations increased from 67% to 71% between 2023 and 2024.
Regarding the latest evaluation round on corruption prevention for parliamentarians, judges, and prosecutors, countries had fully implemented 59% of the recommendations and partially implemented 29% by December 31, 2024. Notably, 12% of GRECO’s indications were not applied at all, with the highest proportion of unimplemented recommendations affecting parliamentarians (16.6%), compared to judges (10.9%) and prosecutors (8.4%).
