The European Parliament has adopted a nonbinding resolution urging the European Commission to pay closer attention to crypto assets, hidden ownership structures and digital tools in the European Union’s next anti-corruption strategy.
The recommendations, approved on Thursday, October 8, are intended to shape a broader Commission plan expected by the end of 2026. Lawmakers also called for stronger powers to trace, freeze, confiscate and recover proceeds tied to corruption and other criminal offenses.
Parliament sets out priorities for the Commission
Members of the European Parliament said the Commission’s upcoming strategy should address how digital assets and complex corporate arrangements can be used in corruption-related activity. The resolution forms part of Parliament’s priorities for the anti-corruption agenda, but it does not itself create binding rules.
The Commission is expected to adopt the strategy by the end of 2026. That plan is meant to complement the EU anti-corruption directive that entered into force in May.
Focus on tracing and recovering illicit proceeds
A central element of the resolution is asset recovery. Lawmakers want stronger procedures for identifying proceeds linked to corruption and other crimes, stopping those assets from being moved, and recovering funds after criminal investigations.
The recommendations specifically call for more effective mechanisms to trace, freeze, confiscate and recover criminal proceeds. In practice, that points to a stronger enforcement focus rather than new crypto-specific transaction limits in the text adopted by Parliament.
Crypto, ownership opacity and digital tools flagged as risks
MEPs identified crypto assets, unclear ownership arrangements and digital technologies as areas that require closer scrutiny within the anti-corruption framework. Their concern is that these tools or structures can complicate efforts to follow money flows or determine who ultimately controls assets.
At the same time, the resolution did not introduce new restrictions on cryptocurrency transactions and did not set immediate compliance obligations for crypto companies. Its role is to signal what lawmakers want the Commission to consider when drafting the wider strategy.
Broader governance and transparency measures
Beyond crypto-related concerns, Parliament asked for tighter oversight of public procurement and grants, where the use of public money can raise questions about conflicts of interest and improper influence.
Lawmakers also called for common standards on declaring and managing conflicts of interest, clearer rules for lobbying, and more consistent political financing requirements across EU member states. Another part of the package focuses on protections for whistleblowers and investigative journalists who expose suspected corruption or report on misuse of public resources.
What comes next
The immediate outcome is a political signal from Parliament rather than a change in law. The next confirmed step is the Commission’s preparation of its anti-corruption strategy, which is scheduled for adoption by the end of 2026.
Until then, the resolution serves as a public statement of the areas lawmakers want prioritized: stronger asset recovery, closer scrutiny of crypto assets and opaque ownership structures, and tougher transparency safeguards across public spending and political activity.
Source: crypto.news