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European Commission leaks crackdown after internal concerns

Internal information leaks inside the EU executive trigger new discipline measures for commissioners as transparency tensions resurface in Brussels

The background: information flows inside the EU system – In Bruxelles, information often circulates rapidly across institutions, media outlets and diplomatic channels. Within the European Union system, leaks — advance drafts, internal briefings and unofficial notes — are widely considered part of daily political life.

Former economy commissioner Paolo Gentiloni repeatedly warned that one structural weakness of the EU was the limited public scrutiny over complex institutional decision-making processes.

Leaks are often seen by observers as a counterbalance to institutional opacity, largely driven by the complexity of EU governance structures and procedures.

The European Commission leaks crackdown strategy

However, the European Commission leaks crackdown has now become a political priority for Ursula von der Leyen, currently in the first year of her second mandate leading the European Commission.

According to minutes from the College of Commissioners meeting held on December 10, the president has moved to tighten internal discipline among commissioners, who are seen as increasingly prone to sharing confidential information externally.

As part of the European Commission leaks crackdown, von der Leyen convened all 26 commissioners in Lovanio on February 4. The meeting was officially aimed at preparing the informal European Council scheduled for February 12 at Alden-Biesen Castle and improving internal working methods.
However, internal information leaks were a central concern behind the initiative.

Reform agenda and institutional discipline

During the seminar, part of the discussion focused on evaluating reforms aimed at strengthening EU competitiveness, drawing on policy analysis developed by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi.

Another section of the seminar addressed the European Commission leaks crackdown directly, examining mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosures during decision-making processes.

Meeting records show that von der Leyen also stressed the principle of collegial responsibility. Once decisions are adopted, every commissioner is expected to publicly support them, even in cases of internal disagreement.

Political signal from the Commission presidency

The European Commission leaks crackdown sends a clear signal that the current leadership intends to strengthen internal discipline and limit informal information channels that could influence negotiations, markets or political positioning before official announcements.

The move also reflects broader tensions between institutional confidentiality and demands for transparency within the EU policymaking environment.

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