HEC Paris

Alberto Alemanno

The EU’s Enduring Ethical Deficit in the Aftermath of Huawei

It took over two decades and several high-profile ethical scandals for the main EU institutions to finally agree on the Interinstitutional Body for Ethical Standards. A year later, this ethics body is nowhere to be found, largely blocked by the EPP. While Belgian prosecutors accuse Huawei of lobbying practices involving free football tickets, lavish gifts, and even all-expenses-paid trips to China, the unfolding scandal provides tangible proof of the inadequacy of the ethical framework, notwithstanding the much-acclaimed post-Qatargate reforms.

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