The 2013 EU anti-corruption report demonstrated corruption is a persistent problem across the 28 member states of the European Union and that urgent action is needed.  Just last month Transparency International EU’s assessment of corruption risks in EU institutions unearthed major flaws including the absence of mandatory lobbying rules and the growing trend of EU institutions to negotiate laws behind closed doors.

The 2013 EU anti-corruption report demonstrated corruption is a persistent problem across the 28 member states of the European Union and that urgent action is needed.  Just last month Transparency International EU’s assessment of corruption risks in EU institutions unearthed major flaws including the absence of mandatory lobbying rules and the growing trend of EU institutions to negotiate laws behind closed doors.

Corruption damages society and the economy and creates an uncompetitive environment for resources-resources-business. It wastes public money and degrades public institutions. We need to be able to rely on the EU and its institutions to help stamp out corruption.

A good starting point is to gain commitments from Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who are up for election this month. We will hear much rhetoric in the campaign about how the EU institutions are wasteful, and how the European Commission lets other countries get away with poor behaviour while Britain faithfully implements all the Brussels directives. Those messages from MEPs and political parties will have much more credibility if they commit to doing something about it.

Across Europe, TI chapters have written to the political parties whose candidates are standing for election to the European Parliament this month.

We have asked them to sign a simple Anti-Corruption Pledge whose full text you can read here. In summary, we are asking each party to ensure its MEPs work to achieve the following aims:

1. The governance and law-making of EU institutions will become a global model of transparency, accountability and integrity, establishing the highest standards.

2. The EU will promote greater integrity and transparency in public spending.

3.  The EU will promote initiatives and legislation that will provide effective protection to whistleblowers in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

The letter has been sent to the Conservative Party, Green Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and UKIP.

We will publish details on our website of the parties that have, and have not, signed the Anti-Corruption Pledge, and be speaking to the media about the importance of combating corruption in the EU and its institutions.

After the election, we will hope to arrange a meeting with MEPs to discuss in more detail how the pledge commitments can be implemented and, where necessary, to provide further information on corruption in the EU and its institutions.

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