Corruption in the EU

[Borachio]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26014387

The extent of corruption in Europe is "breathtaking" and it costs the EU economy at least 120bn euros (£99bn) annually, the European Commission says.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem has presented a full report on the problem.

She said the true cost of corruption was "probably much higher" than 120bn.

Three-quarters of Europeans surveyed for the Commission study said that corruption was widespread, and more than half said the level had increased.

"The extent of the problem in Europe is breathtaking, although Sweden is among the countries with the least problems," Ms Malmstroem wrote in Sweden's Goeteborgs-Posten daily.

The cost to the EU economy is equivalent to the bloc's annual budget.

That's a lot of money going astray, isn't it?

And yet it's not wasted money, is it? I mean, it doesn't just disappear. Somebody's got it. And presumably it still has an effect on the economy, and well-being of real people.

Still, maybe my attitude is just too lackadaisical.

Ms Malmstroem said corruption was eroding trust in democracy and draining resources from the legal economy.

"The political commitment to really root out corruption seems to be missing," she complained.

The Commission highlighted that:

• Public procurement (public bodies buying goods and services) forms about one-fifth of the EU's total output (GDP) and is vulnerable to corruption, so better controls and integrity standards are needed
• Corruption risks are generally greater at local and regional level
• Many shortcomings remain in financing of political parties - often codes of conduct are not tough enough
• Often the existing rules on conflicts of interest are inadequately enforced
• The quality of corruption investigations varies widely across the EU

Here's looking at you: Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Lithuania, Czech Republic, and... everyone really.

 

[Winner]

A joke could be appropriate here noting the similarity between the amount lost to corruption and the amount sent to Greece as bailout money. Lost in either case.

Anyway, corruption in Czechia is terrible and unless politicians start taking the problem seriously, it will get worse. Considering that both the main political parties are actively participating in the corruption economy, it's not very likely until we totally redo the party system.

Case in point - the civil service act, which exists in pretty much EVERY other civilized European country and prevents politicians from appointing officials in Ministries as they see fit. We don't have it. We're only now adopting it because the EU threatened brutal sanctions if we don't. ("oh those evil Brussels bureaucrats!" ).

And since I know our political leadership, they will probably truncate the law and fill it with numerous holes and caveats so that they can continue selling out public offices and pilfer out public money to their "sponsors".

Really, this country's administration is rotten to the core, it needs a good kick.

EDIT: A map from the BBC article:

 

[Kyriakos]

^It is even funnier to think that you (Winner) still are under the impression the eu will keep existing even as it is now, when the may elections happen

The eu is dead by now. Keep on thinking it was out of incompetence and not some more sinister development.

 

[Winner]

^It is even funnier to think that you (Winner) still are under the impression the eu will keep existing even as it is now, when the may elections happen

The eu is dead by now. Keep on thinking it was out of incompetence and not some more sinister development.

Nope, Greece is dead (to Europe). The rest is doing moderately fine, thanks for asking.

 

[Borachio]

What's this? Have I missed something? I don't think the EU is going to disappear anytime soon, at all.

 

[Kyriakos]

Sorry W but you will be back to Russia's sphere soon

Or Germany's, which is funny considering how your ancestors fought to not allow that. Oh wait, they didn't fight at all, just capitulated like always

 

[Borachio]

They were, to be fair, stitched up, and sold down the river, at Munich. Good and proper.

 

[Winner]

What's this? Have I missed something? I don't think the EU is going to disappear anytime soon, at all.

Kyriakos is just displaying his propensity to Greek tragedy, just ignore it - sorry for the thread derailment.

 

[Peck of Arabia]

I can't believe how quietly this bit of news slipped past the TV news cycle- it was, basically an afterthought on the "business" section on the BBC News channel and Sky were too busy reporting on what's his name's death, that actor. EDIT: Phillip Seymour Hoffman

This is a phenomenal sum of money and nobody seems to care

 

[Phrossack]

Did they define "corruption"? It really varies from place to place. In some places, you're expected to "oil the wheels of government" or "pay a fee" or give gifts, and it wouldn't be reported. In others, corruption consists of politicians accepting movie tickets or something.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

I doubt such maps are anyhing accurate about real corruption levels. It is only a poll on what people thinks after all. Maybe some countries are so corrupt scandals dont become aired and corrupted politics are never judged so people dont think on it like something affecting his lives.

(that said i thin spain has some serious corruption problems particullarly among politics, bankers and such)

 

[Winner]

Did they define "corruption"? It really varies from place to place. In some places, you're expected to "oil the wheels of government" or "pay a fee" or give gifts, and it wouldn't be reported. In others, corruption consists of politicians accepting movie tickets or something.

I doubt such maps are anyhing accurate about real corruption levels. It is only a poll on what people thinks after all. Maybe some countries are so corrupt scandals dont become aired and corrupted politics are never judged so people dont think on it like something affecting his lives.

(that said i thin spain has some serious corruption problems particullarly among politics, bankers and such)

There is a link to the full report in the article, it contains notes on methodology and other things. It's not based on a simple "poll" but a rather comprehensive survey across the whole Union.

 

[Kozmos]

Well I can confirm Croatia is basically let the free market decide.

 

[Domen]

I was personally affected by corruption in daily life only once, when a train attendant offered me to give him 5 Zlotys instead of buying a ticket for 10.

That was many years ago.

On the other hand, corruption among politicians - especially leftist politicians - is much bigger than among the society as a whole.

Corruption in Poland today is the heritage of communist times. People who "promote" it are post-communist politicians, officials, agents. When right-wing PiS government started to fight against corruption in 2005, the leftists became hysterical, they set in motion their propaganda of slanders against PiS.

The best method - used by post-communists in Poland - to discredit the ones who try to destroy corruption, is to call them "nationalists".

And of course a left-wing deputy Barbara Blida - who commited suicide after being arrested for corruption - became a "martyr" of Poland's leftists.

"Poor" Barbara Blida "murdered" by right-wing "nationalists"... What a rubbish - she killed herself because she knew she was guilty and ruined.

 

[Verbose]

I would say this is not a big number.

Sure it's a lot of money — on an individual, human scale.

But the EU annual GDP is on the level of 12 000 billion €. I.e. the budget for the EU and the figure for money lost to curruption is about 1% of the total GDP. So by that count, the EU is 99% corruption free. It would of course be preferable if it was 100% so, but how many things in this world is 100% anything? (That said, it would of course be really, really bad if this figure creeps higher than 1%, and considering how low it is, the probability for that is rather greater than the reverse — meaning cause for vigilance on this matter.)

There's also every reason to look sternly on in particular the Big Boys Spain and Italy, accounting for rather a lot of the obvious corruption.

 

[Borachio]

I'd say it's a huge amount of money. It is almost exactly equal to the Commission's entire annual budget. That means, if it wasn't lost to corruption, the Commission would be able to do twice as much.

Comparing it to the total GDP doesn't seem to mean much, imo.

 

[uppi]

I'd say it's a huge amount of money. It is almost exactly equal to the Commission's entire annual budget. That means, if it wasn't lost to corruption, the Commission would be able to do twice as much.

That just shows that the Commission is not that much of a player in the European economy. There are some notable exceptions, but most of the time, getting EU money is nice, but you cannot do much without additional national funds.

 

[Quackers]

Why has the UK teamed up with a load of corrupt Europeans?

It's been a big mistake since day one.

 

[Borachio]

MPs' expenses don't exactly demonstrate a corrupt free nation.

 

[Quackers]

Of course. Yet, relatively we're more honest than some European nations. Why bother union with these European nations?