Not such a retrospective: on the implementation of the international anti-corruption obligations in Italy

The past thirty years have seen unprecedented international initiatives aimed at combatting corrupt practices. The net effect of such initiatives is that today there exists a sort of “hyper norm” repudiating corruption that transcends national boundaries. Over the same period, Italy has ratified and implemented within its legal system five international anti-corruption treaties and amended its domestic legislation on different occasions. However, despite considerable efforts, corruption remains a serious challenge in the country. This article examines the main achievements and shortcomings of the implementation of the aforementioned conventions in Italy in light of the outcomes of the monitoring procedures established by the same treaties.