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EU Anti-Corruption Report
Report

EU Anti-Corruption Report

Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament


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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Scientific
  • Overview

Recommendation

Public corruption is always a scourge on society, but when austerity programs like those in the European Union inflict painful cuts on essential services, mismanagement and outright theft of taxpayer money becomes even more striking. While all countries suffer from corruption to some extent, some nations seem more accepting of cronyism, nepotism and other illegal practices than other states. Despite this European Commission paper’s dense bureaucratic style, getAbstract considers it a solid report on the costs, perception and reality of corruption within the EU.

Take-Aways

  • Corruption costs the European Union €120 billion [$162 billion] each year, almost as much as its annual budget.
  • While EU member states have broad anticorruption laws and institutions, their efforts to combat corruption are often ineffective.
  • Some 40% of European firms believe that corruption hurts their businesses, while almost three-quarters of EU citizens consider bribes and personal contacts “the easiest way of obtaining certain public services in their country.”

About the Author

The European Commission is the executive arm of the European Union.