Corruption is a cancer that erodes trust in democracy and undermines the European project. Fighting corruption must be a top priority for the EU. I strongly believe that the fight against corruption must be waged at the Union level. While corruption is widespread, in some Member States it is deeply entrenched across the entire spectrum of policy and administration. These states will never be able to eliminate corruption on their own. Therefore, a unified and coordinated effort at EU level would be essential to address this pervasive issue effectively.