US Withdraws From European Anti-Corruption Panel

The Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from a top European anti-corruption watchdog, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), in its latest move to disengage from international and multilateral organizations.

The Council of Europe announced Tuesday that the U.S. formally notified it of its withdrawal from GRECO. The organization stated that only Russia and Belarus had previously left the panel. A U.S. official confirmed the withdrawal on Monday, speaking on the condition of anonymity to confirm the move ahead of a public announcement from the State Department.

The Council of Europe noted that the U.S. had been a participant in GRECO since 2000 and a contributor to its work. "GRECO remains open to resuming cooperation with the United States in the future in support of shared efforts to prevent corruption, strengthen integrity and uphold the rule of law," the statement read.

This decision follows a week after the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe announced that the U.S. would not invite observers for November's midterm elections, a departure from previous practice. The U.S. has also withdrawn from other European-based agencies, including the World Health Organization and the U.N. Human Rights Council, and is reportedly considering further such actions.

GRECO was established in 1999 by the Council of Europe to monitor adherence to the organization's anti-corruption standards. The United States joined the panel, whose membership is not restricted to European Union countries, a year after its creation. In January, the U.S. also withdrew from another Council of Europe body, the Venice Commission, an advisory panel on constitutional law.