Independent research and policy advisory on residency and investment migration programmes within the European Union.

Mission and Mandate

The Independent Observatory on Residency Compliance (ERCO) is an independent body dedicated to monitoring, assessing, and advising on the integrity of EU residency and investment migration programmes.

Since 2019, ERCO has provided technical expertise and compliance assessments to EU institutions, with findings presented at the European Parliament and in EU-level policy forums

.

Core Activities

Compliance & Advisory

Independent assessments of residency and investment migration frameworks across EU Member States.

Policy advisory to parliamentary committees, regulators and working groups on transparency and governance

.

Risk & Cooperation

Monitoring of due-diligence failures, intermediary risks, fraud signals and abuse patterns.

Cooperation, upon request, with Portuguese and EU authorities, including law-enforcement and anti-fraud bodies.

Reporting & Publications

Evidence-based briefings aligned with EU legal frameworks (EPPO and Local Criminal Investigation Police)

Public reporting to support debate and decision-making at EU level

Publications and Context

EU Institutions

- European Commission report (2019): Investor Citizenship and Residence Schemes in the EU


Judiciary & Oversight

- Court of Justice of the EU (2025): Judgment on Malta's investor-citizenship scheme

 

- European Commission overview: Investor citizenship schemes – Policy & monitoring

Civil Society Reports

- European Getaway – Inside the Murky World of Golden Visas (Transparency Int'l & Global Witness, Oct 2018)

Investigative Journalism

- Golden Passports and Systemic Risks (OCCRP)

Government Funding

ERCO operates as an independent observatory funded under EU transparency and governance initiatives. 

The Observatory collaborates with policymakers, academics and civil-society experts to ensure evidence-based, independent analysis for EU-level decision-making.

CONTACT