NCJ Number
174225
Journal
Journal of Financial Crime Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: November 1996 Pages: 168-172
Date Published
1996
Length
5 pages
Annotation
After reviewing the scale and nature of the problem of fraud and corruption in member states of the European Union, this article considers the response so far through anti-fraud legislation and anti-corruption legislation, as well as outstanding issues.
Abstract
According to the Salish Report, commissioned by the European Parliament, bribes in most member states amount to between 2 and 10 percent of the value of business transactions. As part of a plan to combat fraud that affects the EC budget, efforts are now being made at the EU level to fight corruption, which is particularly rife in public procurement. As a result, two new legal instruments have been put forward to harmonize the handling, in the laws of the member states, of corrupt officials who have managed EC funds and to improve judicial and other forms of cooperation. The author argues this can only be viewed as the first step in the fight against corruption. Cooperation will remain a crucial issue in addressing corruption successfully for the foreseeable future. The protection of informants and the lifting of officials' immunities must also be clarified. 29 references