RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

The European Report on Corruption

93% of Romanians believe that corruption is widespread in their country, reads a an EU Anti-Corruption Report that covers all 28 Member States.

The European Report on Corruption
The European Report on Corruption

, 04.02.2014, 13:20

Corruption in the 28 Member States costs the EU economy around 120 billion Euros per year. That is the implacable conclusion of the first EU Anti-Corruption Report, through which the European Commission gives a detailed picture of the phenomenon across the entire EU. From Sweden to Malta and from Portugal to Greece, neither of the EU countries is immune. The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmstrom, has stated that the first presentation of the report shows how the Member States can fight corruption through policies that must be implemented and provides suggestions of how that can be done effectively. The report also shows quite clearly that the level of corruption varies from one state to another and there is no corruption-free country in Europe.



The most affected fields are, quite predictably, related to administration and politics, more specifically public procurement and political party funding. As regards Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007 and are still being monitored through additional reports under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, there are best practices that can be highlighted. Cecilia Malmstrom too, has stated that there are positive examples in both Romania and Bulgaria, and the efforts made by the two countries have been stressed in the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. Many countries have made efforts, but those efforts have not been enough, the European Commissioner has also said.



According to the EU report, corruption in Romania continues to be a systemic issue, at both low and high level. There are some positive results, as several cases of high-level corruption have been investigated and people prosecuted by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. However, the overall outcome is unstable and slightly reversible. According to the Directorate, between 2006 and 2012, 36 million Euros from European funds were embezzled, through corruption and fraud.



Public procurement at local level is also extremely vulnerable to corruption. As regards the so-called petty corruption, informal payments are a common practice in the health-care system in Romania, where both doctors and the ancillary staff have very low salaries. 28% of the Romanian respondents that have applied to services provided by public health-care institutions have stated that, besides the legal fees, they have been forced to pay extra money to benefit from those services.


Maia Sandu (Photo: presedinte.md)
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Moldova’s pro-European president Maia Sandu won a new  4-year term in Sunday’s second round run-off, with over 55% of the votes cast in the...

Moldova stays on path to Europe
The head of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), Toni Grebla
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Election campaigns in Romania

    The campaign for the general election in Romania started last week, at midnight on Thursday, and will end on 30 November. During this...

Election campaigns in Romania
November 1 - National Radio Day
Today in the News Friday, 01 November 2024

Radio Romania 96

Radio Romania has celebrated 96 years since it first entered the listeners houses from Romania and abroad. On November 1 1928 the Romanians were able...

Radio Romania 96
(Photo: pixabay@Engin_Akyurt)
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Romanians’ concerns

Romanians and Austrians are the most satisfied with their lives among the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, but the former are significantly...

Romanians’ concerns
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Republic of Moldova, crucial final

On November 3, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have to choose, for the position of head of state, between the pro-European Maia Sandu, the...

Republic of Moldova, crucial final
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Drones, a security issue

The Romanian Ministry of National Defense has placed under decisional transparency a bill that improves airspace security measures. The bill, which...

Drones, a security issue
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected the referral of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in relation to the so-called...

The Fugitive Law is constitutional
Today in the News Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Challenges of an ageing population

Romanians are getting fewer and older.   The population of Romania in mid-2024 was 21,779,000, down 1% compared to June 1, 2023. According to...

Challenges of an ageing population

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company