'Breathtaking' EU corruption costs 120 bn euros a year

Google – AFP, Bryan McManus (AFP), 3 February 2014

One in 12 EU citizens have experienced corruption in the past year,

research shows (AFP/File, Philippe Huguen)

Brussels — Corruption across the European Union's 28 countries costs about 120 billion euros ($162 billion) per year -- a "breathtaking" sum equal to the EU's entire annual budget, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said Monday.

Malmstroem said the actual figure could be even higher, despite the estimate amounting to a little less than one percent of the bloc's total economic output.

"The extent of the problem in the EU is breathtaking," Malmstroem wrote in an op-ed piece in Swedish newspaper Goeteborgs-Posten.

"Corruption undermines faith in democratic institutions, drains the legal economy of resources and is a breeding ground for organised crime."

EU commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia

 Malmstroem gives a press conference on

 December 4, 2013 at the EU Headquarters

in Brussels (AFP/File, Georges Gobet)

Presenting the European Commission report, the bloc's first, Malmstroem emphasised the figure was "an estimation" and said the actual amount is "probably... much higher."

She called on member states to do more to stamp out the problem, saying: "The price of not acting is simply too high."

The report does not rank the countries as to the seriousness of the problem nor suggest legal remedies, with Malmstroem saying that could follow after talks with member states.

But "one thing is very clear -- there is no 'corruption-free' zone in Europe," she said.

While Malmstroem refused to point the finger at any particular country, the EU has had longstanding concerns about corruption in Bulgaria and Romania, especially over their use of EU funds, and both were put under a special monitoring mechanism when they joined the bloc in 2007.

The report said that "fighting corruption has long been a priority for Bulgaria" but despite best efforts, the problem "remains widespread".

A poll found 84 percent of Bulgarians agreed corruption is prevalent while last year there were large demonstrations against the government's ties with wealthy oligarchs.

Among possible steps, the Commission "suggests that Bulgaria should shield anti-corruption institutions from political influence and appoint their management in a transparent, merit-based procedure", it said.

In addition, the Commission "is suggesting that a code of ethics is adopted for members of the National Assembly".

"In Romania, both petty and political corruption remains a significant problem," the report said, adding that efforts to address the issue have been inconsistent.

The Commission suggested Romania should ensure truly independent corruption investigations and develop "comprehensive codes of conduct for elected officials".

A poll showed "a full 93 percent of Romanians agree that corruption is widespread," it said.

Finland, Denmark top of class

Among the other member states, the report named Denmark and Finland as top performers, while in France it said that "corruption-related risks in the public procurement sector and in international business transactions have not been addressed."

Germany, the bloc's largest economy, "is amongst the best countries of the EU. However, more can be done," it said, suggesting it "would benefit from the introduction of strict penalties for corruption of elected officials."

Picking up on an issue attracting a lot of domestic attention, it also suggested Germany should develop a policy to deal with the "revolving door" phenomenon, where officials leave office to work for companies they may have recently helped.

In her Swedish op-ed, Malmstroem said Sweden "is among the countries with the least problems".

She said research showed that one in 12 EU citizens had experienced corruption in the past year, while four out of 10 companies regard it as "an obstacle for doing business within the EU".

The report reviews how existing laws and policies work and suggests what further effort could be made.

Malmstroem singled out public procurement, notably tenders for construction projects, as a major cause of concern.

Graft watchdog Transparency International welcomed the report, saying it marks "an important step in the EU's collective effort to scale up its anti-corruption efforts".

"It is a stark warning against complacency about corruption in any EU country," it added.

The report did not cover corruption in the EU's own institutions, with the bloc's finances reviewed by the separate Court of Auditors.

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”