Corruption in European Union

Today corruption remains one of the biggest challenges for all societies. The straightforward definition of corruption is the abuse of public office for private gain. Bribery occurs in the private sector also, but bribery in the public sector, offered or extracted, is   a matter of serious concern. Public office is abused for private gain when politician or official accepts, solicits, or extorts a bribe. Whether corruption takes the form of political corruption, bureaucratic corruption,  corrupt activities committed by and with organised criminal groups, private-to-private corruption or so-called petty corruption, the abuse of power for private gain is not acceptable and has awful consequences. It harms the countries whole by lowering investment levels, hampering the fair operation of the internal market and reducing public finances, besides leading to concentration of wealth and rising inequalities. Corruption is one of the particularly serious crimes with a cross-border dimension. It is often linked to other forms of serious crime, such as trafficking in drugs and human beings, money laundering and other shadow economic activities. Its roots lie deep in bureaucratic and political institutions, and its effect on development differs with country conditions. But while costs may vary and systemic corruption may coexist with strong economic performance, experience shows that corruption adversely affects development and well being of the people. Simply speaking, the causes of corruption are always contextual, rooted in a country's policies, bureaucratic traditions, political development, and social history. Still, corruption tends to flourish when institutions are weak and government policies generate economic rents.

While corruption is universalized and institutionalized in most of the developing countries like India, it has also become deep rooted in many developed countries, including European countries. The Transparency International's corruption perception index 2013 that warns that the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery continue to ravage societies around the world. More than two-thirds of the 177 countries in the 2013 Index score below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean). In the case of India and many other developing countries embezzlement of funds by public servants is rampant in central and state governments, local bodies, public sector undertakings, cooperative societies and banks, the private sector is not free from such a scourge. Corruption and bribery are found in all wings of the administrative machinery of central and state governments as well as local administration. Reports show that most of the officials who have some authority to show favour in one way or other indulge in corruption and bribery.  According to World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, corruption is public enemy number one n the developing world. Kim describes the pernicious effects corruption can have in developing countries as follows : “Every dollar that a corrupt official or a corrupt business person puts in their pocket is a dollar stolen from a pregnant woman who needs health care; or from a girl or a boy who deserves an education; or from communities that need water, roads, and schools. Every dollar is critical if we are to reach our goals to end extreme poverty by 2030 and to boost shared prosperity.”

It is quite revealing to note that corruption has become a scourge even in developed market economies, including European Union. It is also disturbing to know  from  the first ever report on graft in the 28-nation European Union by the executive European Commission, corruption costs Europe 120 billion euros a year, or around one percent of economic output. Although the nature and scope of corruption may differ from one EU State to another, a rising number of EU citizens think i