In a significant move to combat international bribery and corruption, UK’s SFO has announced the formation of an anti-bribery taskforce in collaboration with their Swiss and French counterparts, with an open invitation for others to join the force.

Background

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in the UK, the Parquet National Financier (PNF) in France, and the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) are the leading agencies in this initiative. Each organisation has a storied history in enforcing anti-bribery legislation within their respective jurisdiction, as well as numerous successful collaborations in the past, such as the Rolls-Royce and Airbus cases. However, these efforts have often been overshadowed by criticism that they could do more, particularly when compared with their US counterparts. Whilst such an initiative has been under consideration for some time, it is noteworthy that this announcement comes in the wake of recent US policy shifts under President Donald Trump, which have dampened the US’s FCPA foreign bribery enforcement.

The role of the taskforce

The taskforce aims to achieve several objectives:

1. Formation of a Leaders' Group for the regular exchange of insights and strategies.
2. Creation of a Working Group to devise proposals for cooperation on cases.
3. Increased sharing of best practices to utilise combined expertise.
4. Strengthening the foundation for operational collaboration.

Nick Ephgrave, Director of the Serious Fraud Office, stated: "The commitment we have made today reaffirms our individual and collective commitment to tackling the pernicious threat of international bribery and corruption, wherever it occurs."

His comments were echoed by Jean-François Bohnert, Head of the Parquet National Financier, who said: "This taskforce will definitely strengthen our current cooperation in order to fight more efficiently against bribery and corruption in individual cases."

The aims of the taskforce present a picture of a willingness and intent to pool resources to combat bribery and corruption globally, which is a product of "ten years of operational cooperation" (Jean-François Bohnert). The UK, France, and Switzerland are all confident that they stand to benefit from this enhanced cooperation and shared expertise. There is also the possibility that other countries may join the taskforce in the future, further strengthening global efforts against economic crime.

The American Picture

The US has historically been seen as the leading force for international bribery enforcement; with the requisite impetus, reach, and resources to pursue and prosecute wrongdoing. It has also previously worked alongside the UK, Swiss, and French bodies on large-scale cases such as Airbus and Rolls-Royce. However, this impetus appears to have been halted by President Trump. On 10 February 2025, Trump signed an executive order which effected a six-month hiatus on foreign bribery enforcement in an effort to divert resources towards drug cartel activity. Along with the dismantling of anti-corruption task forces, a number of pending trials are subject to uncertainty. 

The SFO has declined to comment on whether the new taskforce is an effort to capitalise on these recent developments in the US. However, it is clear to see that this timely announcement presents an opportunity for other international forces to fill any void created by the new Trump regime.

Conclusion

This creation of this new tripartite taskforce marks a significant step forward in the fight against international bribery and corruption. This initiative highlights the importance of continued international cooperation in tackling economic crime, as well as emphasising the continued focus on international corruption and bribery concerns. Given the wide nexus of UK, French, and Swiss anti-bribery and corruption legislation, the taskforce has the potential to have global reach and facilitate the agencies’ attempts to prosecute criminal conduct internationally. Of course, all of this further highlights the need for all companies operating nationally and internationally to have strong, effective compliance programmes and anti-bribery measures in place.