17 February 2012
A European Commission corruption survey published yesterday has confirmed that corruption remains a serious problem in much of the EU. A substantial majority of Europeans believe that corruption is a major concern, with half indicating that corruption is getting worse.
The Greeks (at 98%) unsurprisingly are more concerned than the Danes (19%).
A failure of governments and institutions to act with integrity seems to be a major influence. When people experience corruption they are most likely to trust the police (42%) and the judicial system (41%). Politicians are not trusted (6%).
There is a perception that bribery and the abuse of positions of power takes place in all areas of public service.
Politicians are seen as corrupt (57%). This hasn’t change since the 2009 survey.
Officials involved in awarding contracts are also poorly regarded (47% corrupt).
Crime is seen to be part of the business culture (67%).
Corruption is seen as linked to organised crime (57%).
The comprehensive report on the results reflects on
- extent of corruption in EU Member States
- where governments face the biggest problem with corruption
- corruption as part of business
- how corruption has changed in the past 3 years
- awareness of corruption related problems
- services / sectors facing the biggest corruption problems
- direct experiences with corruption
- causes of corruption
- strengths and weaknesses in the fight against corruption
- links between corruption and organised crime
Integrity Talking Points 