Spain has failed to fully implement a single one of the 19 anti-corruption reforms recommended by the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body in 2019, a new report has found.
According to the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), Spanish authorities have only partially addressed 16 of those recommendations, while the other three have been ignored completely.
The group says there has been a “lack of decisive action and tangible results” and is urging the government to crack down on corruption at the highest levels of power.
The recommendations focus on the central government and law enforcement agencies, particularly the National Police and the Civil Guard.
While the Civil Guard has made some progress through new ethics and integrity plans, the National Police still lacks a clear anti-corruption strategy and operates with internal procedures GRECO describes as “opaque.”
Despite claims from the Spanish government that 24 out of 30 overall recommendations have been partially or fully implemented, GRECO stresses that none of the long-standing proposals from 2019 have been fully put into practice.
Key concerns raised in the report include legal immunity, where no significant reform has been made to allow for easier prosecution of senior officials, and lobby regulation, as Spain still has limited transparency in institutional contacts and advisors’ schedules.
Further concerns include weak controls in preventing conflicts of interest between public and private roles, and a lack of independence for oversight bodies.
GRECO also criticised the lack of training for top officials on the Code of Conduct and delays in adopting integrity strategies like the Open Administration Law.
While some steps have been taken, such as risk assessments and internal training, these have not yet led to meaningful change.
Spain must now submit a detailed progress report by 30 June 2026. In the meantime, the Council of Europe may increase diplomatic pressure, including formal letters or inspections, if improvements are not made.
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I’ve not heard of GRECO before, but it is worthwhile checking the Council of Europe’s web site on GRECO to start to understand how sad this not unexpected news concerning Spain really is.