Belgium under growing scrutiny over stalled EU corruption probes
Speaking in the Belgian parliament on Thursday, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin acknowledged the gravity of the situation, telling lawmakers that just 35 officers are assigned to Belgium's central office for combating organised economic and financial crime – with half their workload now driven by investigations led by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, or EPPO.
The country's anti-corruption unit is only marginally better staffed, with only 64 investigators nationwide, he added.
While Quintin insisted that 'the fight against corruption and fraud is an absolute priority,' EPPO chief Laura Kövesi delivered a far more urgent warning earlier this week. In an interview with De Standaard and Le Soir, she described Belgium as a critical node for organised financial crime, but its effort to tackle this was "a joke."
'This is no longer just a Belgian problem,' she said. 'Criminal groups use Belgium as a major platform for their operations. And as host to most EU institutions, Belgium carries a special responsibility.'
EPPO is currently handling 79 investigations in the country, including probes on politically sensitive cases, such as von der Leyen's Pfizergate and alleged misuse of EU funds by key players in the European Parliament. Those under scrutiny include the chamber's most powerful group, the European People's Party, the defunct far-right group Identity and Democracy, and several individual MEPs.
EXCLUSIVE: EU prosecutors open probe into far-right group linked to Le Pen
Media reports allege €4.3 million in EU funds was misused by the far-right Identity and Democracy group from 2019-2024.
The quality and discretion of Belgian investigations are also drawing sharp criticism. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola last month pledged to revise procedures with the Belgian police for lifting parliamentary immunity, following complaints that EU lawmakers' reputations are being tarnished by flimsy allegations made public before proper review.
This criticism was echoed by MEPs this week as they debated whether to lift the immunities of their peers in a closed-door meeting of the Parliament's legal affairs committee. According to three people familiar with the discussions, both the conservative, socialist, and liberal groups urged the Belgian authorities to build up their cases and share more serious evidence before presenting it to their peers. All three EU groups have MEPs targeted by the so-called Huawei gate investigation.
Belgium's chequered track record on high-profile cases only adds to the unease. The 2022 Qatargate scandal – alleging a cash-for-influence network tied to foreign powers like Morocco and Qatar – is lingering amid internal legal challenges that have delayed the investigation, which remains ongoing, with no potential outcome in sight.
Behind the scenes, Belgian officials have long argued the country cannot shoulder the burden of transnational corruption investigations alone. Former Prime Minister Alexander De Croo supported expanding EPPO's authority in 2024, with backing from some EU countries. The idea is now getting traction at the Parliament, as key policy talks on the overhaul of the EU's anti-fraud architecture are on track.
A highly critical OECD report last year highlighted systemic failings in Belgium's justice system. Since 2016, the country has secured only three convictions for transnational corruption, involving five individuals – and no company has ever been sanctioned. Many recent cases, the report added, resulted in acquittals due to procedural delays.
The report also flagged severe capacity issues: Brussels' investigative judges handle an average of 150 cases each, and just three federal prosecutors are assigned to transnational corruption cases – a workload described as unsustainable by the magistrates.
Asked about ongoing issues like understaffing in the police, a spokesperson to the Belgian interior minister said: "we're going to step up the recruitment and training of our police officers. This is a priority."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the justice minister said that "significant efforts have been made in recent years to bring this specialized service 'up to strength'," but added that such investigators were hard to recruit and retain. They also said that they were in touch with EPPO.
Nicoletta Ionta contributed to reporting.
(mm)
UPDATE: The article has been updated to include statements from the spokespeople of the interior and justice ministries.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euractiv
4 hours ago
- Euractiv
The Brief – 18 July: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Happy Friday and welcome back to GBU, where we look back on what should be (we hope) Brussels' last busy week before everyone in the vicinity of the Schuman roundabout logs off for the summer. Decide for yourself what's good, what's bad, and what's ugly. MFF MADNESS: After weeks of build-up, the European Commission's presentation of its 'most ambitious ever' seven-year EU budget proposal took ( messy ) centre stage on Wednesday. While no one really knows what it all means, and it's still subject to significant change as the real budget talks are only about to begin, it's provocative, and it surely gets people talking . It was my first MFF announcement day and a good chunk of it resembled mass confusion on all fronts, although one would think the Commission had enough time to plan everything surrounding that spectacular €2 trillion proposal drop to a T. The International Press Association seems to think so, too, accusing the Commission of breaching media agreements and deliberately keeping journalists in the dark in a press release sent earlier today. Anyway, we did follow the revolting commissioners, unhappy parliamentarians and more on our live blog and are keeping an eye on the budget aftermath. Spoiler: It is all 'bout the money, contrary to pop culture belief. Thomas Moller-Nielsen has a must-read budget breakdown , Sarantis Michalopoulos tells you why the new budget has a smoking problem and Jeremias Lin spoke to disgruntled farmers who are readying their pitchforks for a September return to Brussels after farm subsidies got slashed big time. TIT, TAT, TARIFFS: S omewhat in the shadows of the budget, the EU-US tariff bonanza kept going, too. Trade chief Šefčovič travelled to Washington again and briefed EU ministers on the outcome this afternoon. So, where do we stand? Some want peace, some want violence, seemingly. At least France wants Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen to get the "bazooka" – alias the EU's most powerful trade weapon, the anti-coercion instrument – out in response to Trump's tariff threats. Sun's out, guns out? Would that even be possible? Is that a good idea? I personally wouldn't trust my judgment on this, but Tom beautifully lays it all down here. TOUGH ON RUSSIA, ROUND 18: Today, EU member states agreed on a new wave of economic sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine – after Slovakia's Russia-friendly PM Robert Fico lifted his weeks-long veto. The new measures target Russian banks and lower a price cap on Russian oil exports in a bid to crush the country's war chest. GERMANY'S MIGRATION SUMMIT: Against an alpine backdrop, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt hosted France, Poland, Austria, Denmark, and Czechia as well as EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner atop Germany's highest mountain to talk migration on Friday. Berlin is talking the talk as it's getting tough on migration and walking the walk as the first deportation flight to Afghanistan under Merz took off early this morning. Read all about it here. STRANDED USAID CONDOMS IN BELGIUM: A total 26 million condoms, millions of contraceptive pills, thousands of implants, two million injectable doses, and 50,000 bottles of HIV prevention medication from the US development agency USAID are sitting – unused – in a warehouse in the north-east of Belgium and face possible destruction. That's a stockpile worth about €8.6 million, and destroying would cost Washington around €145,000. How did we get here? Thomas Mangin knows . In case you haven't had enough yet, here are a few weekend reads: Laurent Geslin looked at the latest of France's military disengagement from Africa . In Senegal, a remnant of French colonial presence came to an end on Thursday, with the French army officially handing over the keys of the Dakar-based Camp Geille – which has been occupied by French forces since 1960 – to Senegalese authorities. Inés Fernández-Pontes explained how Sanchez's domestic corruption pickle leads to the country pushing for its minority languages – Catalan, Galician, and Basque – to become EU official once again. Do you know what E3, E4, G5 and MED9 stand for? Fear not, this is not a quiz. Just read Nick Alipour's piece spoon-feeding you Europe's alphabet soup. … and in case you missed it, Brussels supermarkets will be allowed to stay open longer. Want to get The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in your inbox? Subscribe to The Brief (jp)
Euractiv
5 hours ago
- Euractiv
FIREPOWER: France and friends in for EU's €150bn SAFE defence fund
Take a free trial of Euractiv Pro to get FIREPOWER in your inbox. Good afternoon and welcome back to Firepower. This week Firepower got word that France, along with Belgium and Romania, will likely join the EU's massive €150 billion SAFE funding programme for military procurement. More capitals may well follow in the next few days as the deadline to formally join will run out at the end of the month. Though it's not sure the EU countries will actually use (or want, or even need) the entire fund. More on that below. In today's edition, we also have fresh numbers from the Czech ammo initiative for Ukraine, while we explain why an extension for the EU's ammunition production iniative ASAP is as good as dead. Meanwhile, Firepower has obtained a list of NATO's draft calendar running through 2027, including a summit to be held in Ankara. We recommend you also watch out for Germany's Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron meeting in Berlin on Wednesday, followed by their two defence ministers on Thursday. Franco-German defence cooperation will be high on their agenda given recent clashes over their joint fighter jet project. EXCLUSIVE: Trio onboard for SAFE defence spending Good news for the Commission first: FRANCE IS POISED TO JOIN the EU's €150 billion loan scheme for military procurement, sources told Firepower this week. So are Belgium and Romania. This would bring the total number of EU countries interested in the Commission's financing plan to nine, Firepower's tracking shows. Still, the clock is ticking: capitals have until 29 July to indicate how much money they want from the pot, and the industry still has little clarity on what exactly governments want to buy. Underspend: Despite the newcomers, the COMMISSION FEARS it will struggle to allocate the full €150 billion this autumn, four sources told Euractiv, because of a lack of interest in sizeable loans for rearmamanet. All in all, Brussels estimates EU countries will request between €75 and €100 billion, one of the people briefed on the file said. Ask us for the cash: The concern was made clear in a polite-but-pointed letter from EU defence and finance chiefs Andrius Kubilius and Valdis Dombrovskis sent last weekend seen by Euractiv, urging capitals to make use of the loans available. 'We look forward to constructive engagement to make SAFE a success', the letter reads. On your radar US in talks with Europe on tapping defence stockpiles for Ukraine EU vs TRUMP. Another piece of news arrived this week, stepping on the breaks of the EU's ambition to support EU-made products' research, production and procurement: Washington convinced a dozen of wealthy EU countries to stock up on more US-equipment – not only to arm Ukraine, but to replenish their own shelves – promising fast deliveries of the crown jewel: Patriots. The move left Switzerland 's deliveries hanging. Germany's Merz also said yesterday that its delivery to Ukraine could be finalised within weeks . If pouring billions into the American arms industry wasn't enough of a blow, the US envoy to NATO told Firepower that his 'top priority' is to promote defence industry cooperation and co-production with the Europeans, including joint ventures and expanding output. A potential conflict? We will be watching. RENDEZ-VOUS last week of August in Denmark, where EU foreign affairs ministers will discuss how to use Russia's frozen assets around the bloc to pay for American arms to send to Ukraine, EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said . WAITING LIST. In the meantime, the industry is still waiting for NATO countries' shopping list, as reported by Firepower , meant to give arms makers perspective on incoming orders. EDIP GOVERNANCE DILEMMA. The last round of technical talks before the summer break on EDIP, the EU's blueprint for subsidising industry and joint military purchase, ended without a compromise on supply chain surveillance, according to Euractiv's information. MEPs and capitals proposals differ on who should map out and monitor supply chains. EU countries are wary of giving the Commission too much power to identify and report on their manufacturing capabilities. EU lawmakers, instead, are more open to Commission involvement, but only with safeguards for handling sensitive data. Negotiations resume the week of 22 September, when political negotiations kick off. ASAP NO MORE. The €500 million plan to boost ammunition production is officially dead, according to the latest agreement on the EU's mini- simplification package on defence, seen by Firepower, brining EU countries on the same page with the Parliament . NEW JOB. Jitka Látal Znamenáčková, the current Czech ambassador to the political and security committee in the Council, is moving to the Berlaymont with a focus on defence policies. RUSSIA ATTACKS. NATO countries "are determined to employ the full range of capabilities in order to deter, defend against and counter the full spectrum of cyber threats", they wrote in a strongly-worded statement against Russia published Friday after the United Kingdom identified spies targeting the country and its military allies with cyber attacks. EXCLUSIVE: NATO's 2025 – 2027 calendar The makeover of NATO HQ's entrance in the north of Brussels is finished, creating a much more enjoyable environment with benches and a garden for officials, diplomats, military personnel and reporters wanting to take a break in the sun between meetings. It seems the perfect place to get head-on the ministerials NATO has planned for 2026. Firepower has obtained a list of the Alliance's tentative calendar: Defence: 16-17 October, 11-12 February, and 18-19 June Foreign affairs: 2-3 December, 1-2 April, and 20-21 May (in Sweden for the informal meeting). NATO Summit is planned around 8 August in Ankara Looking ahead to 2026-2027: Defence: in October, on 17-18 February, and 17-18 June Foreign ministerials on 1-2 December, 7-8 April, in May in Croatia for the informal before the Albania Summit. The Money Corner Commission pitches €131bn for defence and space in EU budget MFF CHEAT SHEET. The Commission's proposed €131 billion for both defence and space for the next EU's seven-year budget is already making the rounds. But there's more for defence, including €17.7 billion for military mobility under the Connecting Europe Facility, €6.4 billion for collaborative defence and space research under Horizon Europe and a new DARPA-approach for the European Innovation Council. The €865 billion Cohesion Funds could also be tapped for defence. Von der Leyen has proposed a broader €150 billion-strong loan scheme called 'Catalyst Europe', similar to SAFE loans but not limited to defence. Meanwhile, the European Peace Facility, the EU's war fund to pay for weapons for third countries, including Ukraine, should get €30.5 billion. PAY UP. All the spending comes with a price tag. So, among other EU income streams, a taxation on cooperations with an annual net turnover of over €100 million is planned. While SMEs would be exempt, Europe's biggest defence players – think Airbus, Leonardo, Thales and MBDA – could be asked to contribute a share of their skyrocketing revenues. CIGARETTES FOR TANKS? The Commission wants the EU budget to get €78.4 billion over seven years from tobacco taxation, enough to cover a substantial portion of new defence spending. Read more. Bombshell budget Minutes before a key EU's long-term budget defence briefing at the Commission HQ in Brussels, the Berlaymont, a bomb alert drill locked the building down. Security told journalists to stay out, unless they wanted to be escorted to a bomb shelter. Ironically, the designated bomb shelter was none other than the Salle de Presse – exactly where reporters were trying to go in the first place. News from the Capitals THE NETHERLANDS said this week it is considering buying and repurposing 24 decommissioned train carriages of the state-owned railway operator NS to mobile military hospitals. Just earlier, the defence ministry also reached an agreement with airline KLM to keep former F-35 pilots up to date on their training. The move followed accusations that KLM was luring military pilots away from the air force. GERMANY is reportedly weighing in on acquiring a minority stake in the Franco-German defence company KNDS, amid concerns that the German half's planned share sell-off could upset the company's delicate bilateral ownership balance. Earlier this month, Berlin explored a possible stake in TKMS, the shipbuilding division of ThyssenKrupp, should it go public. These moves show how serious the Berlin is in following through on its intent to intervene when Germany's security interests are threatened by ownership changes of key defence companies. CZECH Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský warned this week that a victory of Andrej Babiš as prime minister in the October elections would sign the end of the signature ammunition initiative to Ukraine. Czechia and its 12 partners delivered 800,000 large calibre ammo have been delivered including 290,000 of the 155mm type to Kyiv in 2025, he said, hoping it will continue. While FRENCH prime minister François Bayrou pitched on Tuesday a total freeze of state spending in his 2026 budget plan, Emmanuel Macron announced €3.5 billion extra for defence, financed through 'productivity' (not debt!). Opposition leaders have already called for a vote of no confidence in the autumn. According to Socialist MP Anna Pic, talking to Firepower, Macron's figure is not fresh contracts, but what the government actually has to pay for some of what defence companies have already delivered.
Euractiv
5 hours ago
- Euractiv
EU ministers push for returns to Syria and Afghanistan at high-altitude summit
Atop Germany's snow-capped Zugspitze, EU interior ministers declared that 'returns to Afghanistan and Syria must be possible' in a declaration on migration that did not mince its words on Friday. The self-styled 'coalition of the willing' led by German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and joined by France, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Czechia as well as EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner, signed off on a hardline declaration calling for tougher migration rules across the EU. The group wants faster and easier return mechanisms for irregular migrants and insists that deportations to Afghanistan and Syria 'must be possible'. The declaration also called for Frontex's mandate to be strengthened to assist EU countries with returns to hubs in third countries, including a mandate to conduct returns from third countries such as the Western Balkans. Earlier on Friday, Berlin deported a group of convicted criminals to Taliban-run Afghanistan, the first such deportation since 2024 and the first one under Merz's government. Returns and deportations are a "gap in the reorganisation of the migration system," Dobrindt said, adding it was "where we need to do more". His Austrian counterpart Gerhard Karner struck a triumphant tone after the meeting, pointing to 'new opportunities' recently created. Austria in early July deported a convicted man to Syria in an EU first after the fall of the Assad regime, and Germany follows suit with deportations to Afghanistan. 'These are all enormously important steps toward a credible asylum policy in Europe, if we can also return criminals to their countries of origin,' Karner said. Back in December, Brussels had still taken a far more cautious line. The European Commission reaffirmed its position then that, despite political changes in Syria, the conditions for safe, voluntary, and dignified returns were still not in place, echoing the assessment of the UN refugee agency. Member states also committed to 'carefully analyse' European Court of Human Rights rulings on asylum, a nod to the Danish-Italian letter that helped spark the current debate. EU ministers will reconvene next week in full 27-member format for the informal Justice and Home Affairs meeting in Copenhagen, where subjects including irregular migration and beefing up the return system are high on the agenda. (vib)
