Commissioner Michael McGrath, in a written answer on 16 July 2026, stated that the upcoming EU Anti-Corruption Strategy will set out a comprehensive EU approach to prevent and fight corruption, but that individual criminal investigations remain a Member State responsibility. The answer came in response to a question from MEP Mariusz Kamiński (ECR), who had cited the case of Sławomir Nowak, a former Polish minister and chief of staff to Donald Tusk, as an example of high-level corruption and alleged reprisals against anti-corruption prosecutors. McGrath noted that the Commission monitors anti-corruption developments in all Member States through its annual Rule of Law Report, which includes country-specific recommendations. The Commissioner did not comment on the Nowak case or on the protection of whistleblowers in Poland, deferring to national competence.
The answer contains no concrete proposals, deadlines, or numerical targets, only a reaffirmation of the Commission's commitment to adopt the strategy, first announced in the 2026 Commission work programme. Institutional follow-up is expected when the strategy is presented, though no date was given.