# Procrastination nations URL: https://www.transparency.org/en/blog/procrastination-nations Type: Blog Published: 2020-01-10 Updated: 2020-03-09 --- ![](https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/1_esllBOwBCnMNg_ciAg9lUg.jpeg?auto=compress&fit=crop&fm=webp&w=1349&h=758.8125) Posted on: 10 January 2020 ![Transparency International logo](https://images.transparencycdn.org/images/TI-logo_Medium.png?auto=compress&fit=crop&fm=webp&w=1200) Transparency Int'l Are you a procrastinator? That’s okay, we know the feeling — what matters is that you meet the deadline. Sadly, most EU member states have just [missed their deadline](https://transparencyinternational.createsend1.com/t/r-l-jhnhlhl-l-d/) for a crucial assignment. Following the Panama Papers, the EU agreed to **reform its anti-money laundering framework** and make it harder for organized crime networks and corrupt politicians to clean their dirty money. Today, January 10, was the deadline to implement public registers of [company ownership](https://transparencyinternational.createsend1.com/t/r-l-jhnhlhl-l-h/). The majority of countries, from offshore havens like Malta and Cyprus, to major economies like France or Italy, have not taken the agreed steps. Scandal after scandal has shown how **anonymous companies** [**enable corruption**](https://transparencyinternational.createsend1.com/t/r-l-jhnhlhl-l-k/) around the world. If the EU can’t [make good](https://transparencyinternational.createsend1.com/t/r-l-jhnhlhl-l-u/) on its promises to end them, it will encourage procrastinators elsewhere to keep dragging their feet, too. Other global players also need to step up their game — for their own sake. Last week, [reports](https://transparencyinternational.createsend1.com/t/r-l-jhnhlhl-l-o/) from the US revealed that the military had been awarding contracts to companies **without knowing who was actually behind them**, threatening national security. In the absence of registers that the authorities can rely on, revealing corrupt and fraudulent schemes falls to **whistleblowers and journalists** who handle leaked data, often at great risk to their own safety. Just yesterday, an investigative reporter was [beaten and robbed](https://transparencyinternational.createsend1.com/t/r-l-jhnhlhl-l-b/) by unknown men near his office in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. He had been covering a massive [corruption scandal](https://transparencyinternational.createsend1.com/t/r-l-jhnhlhl-l-n/) involving high level public officials who had funnelled over US$ 1 billion of dirty money abroad, often through — you guessed it — anonymous shell companies. What do you think? Let us know [@anticorruption](https://transparencyinternational.createsend1.com/t/r-l-jhnhlhl-l-p/). *This blog is part of our weekly series of updates on everything corruption-related. You can* [*get them straight to your inbox*](http://bit.ly/TInewsletter)*every Friday.* For any press inquiries please contact