The U.K. unveiled a new Anti-Corruption Strategy in December 2025, just as the EU unveiled its first Anti-Corruption Directive. Both jurisdictions have signalled that they are keen to push back on rising risks of corruption. But many organizations have no formal anti-corruption measures. Where should compliance start?

Full details of the U.K.’s strategy and EU directive for companies are still unclear, but the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have both published guidance on corporate prosecutions and self-reporting rules for economic crimes.

Ruth Prickett graduated from Cambridge University with a BA hons in History and has specialized in business and finance journalism for the past 20 years. She was editor of Financial Management, the magazine...