In December 2020, the EU adopted the landmark EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, but unlike its allies, failed to include corruption as a sanctionable activity. Recent revelations from the Pandora and Panama Papers shone a spotlight on secret offshore accounts in western jurisdictions and show the urgent need to act against kleptocratic and illicit money flows.
This global political momentum in the fight against corruption—together with a growing realization that corruption is a threat to the stability and security of democracy, rule of law, and human rights—is a crucial opportunity for the EU and its member states to adopt legally sound anti-corruption sanctions. Furthermore, adopting a robust anticorruption sanctions regime would enable the EU to coordinate with like-minded allies such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, to meet its foreign policy objectives.
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Why the European Union Needs Anticorruption Sanctions (222.85 Kb pdf file)
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Resilience in Moldova
Q&A: Moldova’s Path to a European Future
![People with Moldovan and EU flags rally in support of joining the European Union in Chisinau, Moldova, on May 21, 2023. Photo credit: © Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu/Getty A woman stands in front of a crowd of people holding European Union flags.](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/73060f9f-efce-4e22-bd55-319cb3dbd98b/20230621-carcedo-moldova-eu-3000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C63%2C3000%2C1875)
Moldova has endured the Kremlin’s aggression because it has chosen to leave Russia's sphere of influence and supports Ukraine. The impact of the war on daily life—and why the nation is determined to join the EU.
Rethinking the EU
In an Age of Crisis, an Opportunity to Remake the EU
![Demonstrators carry a large European Union flag in Tbilisi, Georgia, on June 20, 2022. Photo credit: © Daro Sulakauri/Getty Many people carry a large European Union flag.](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/3f36dd31-b0d6-4461-b716-5a1d0d15d60f/20230508-sulakauri-georgia-eu-3000-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C0%2C3000%2C1875)
From climate change to rising authoritarianism, Europe is facing a range of crises that threaten the way we live. The EU must seize the opportunity to reshape how it works and rethink what role it plays in a changing world.
Corporate Responsibility
Q&A: Why (Some) Investors Want More Regulation
![Two miners transport copper and cobalt ore by bicycle in Kamatanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, on January 19, 2011. Photo credit: © Meinrad Schade/laif/Redux Two miners transport copper and cobalt ore by bicycle](https://opensocietyfoundations.imgix.net/uploads/99b64af0-1fb1-48ee-8d32-7d6d3fb1898b/20220525-schade-drc-copper-cobaltjpg-3000.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=200&q=80&rect=0%2C125%2C3000%2C1875)
As the EU works on rules to protect worker rights and the planet from corporate harm, Open Society’s Jon Jacoby spoke to Anita Dorett, of the Investor Alliance for Human Rights, about how investors are pushing for change.