Corruption a pan-European problem: new report

“Fighting corruption needs to come from the top and that is where Europe fails the test.”

– Cobus de Swardt, Managing Director of Transparency International

No country is immune to corruption and the damaging effects it has for citizens and society. Across Europe – a new report from Transparency International reveals – corruption is undermining confidence in national institutions and contributing to a sustained economic crisis.

Three-fourths of Europeans consider corruption a growing problem in their societies. And gaps in governance continue to plague European countries’ attempts to pull the region out of its ongoing economic crisis.

In a two-year project, Transparency International has analysed over 300 institutions in 25 countries. Using our tried and tested National Integrity System approach, we gauge the capacity and effectiveness of a range of institutions – from political parties, the police, and the judiciary, to the media and civil society – in their contribution to national anti-corruption efforts. These in-depth national studies carried out by our chapters formed the basis of the regional report released on 6 June in Brussels.

The report highlights strengths and weaknesses in individual states, but also points at commonalities shared by many European countries. For instance, 19 of the 25 countries surveyed have not yet regulated lobbying, while currently only ten ban undisclosed political donations. Four-fifths of the states covered in the report present obstacles to citizens seeking access to information, while 17 of the countries lack codes of conduct for their parliamentarians. 

While the report details these and other areas of concern, it also offers targeted recommendations for reform. Ultimately, the report aims to help key European actors identify and then plug the integrity gaps which enable corruption to grow.

Live coverage of the report launch in Brussels

Watch this space for images, quotes and other updates from the launch event in Brussels.

Images from the launch event

Visit our Flickr set to download high-resolution images under the Creative Commons license.

Quotes from the launch

"Our report is a wake-up call about the deficit of transparency that Europe is facing."

– Miklos Marschall, Deputy Managing Director, Transparency International

"Fighting corruption needs to come from the top and that is where Europe fails the test."

– Cobus de Swardt, Managing Director, Transparency International

"Greece is in a dire position because existing laws to curb corruption are not enforced."

– Costas Bakouris, Chair of Transparency International Greece

"There are huge gaps between the intention of the laws and the reality on the ground. We need to move away from the obsession with passing laws to independent public and media oversight."

– Finn Heinrich, Research Director, Transparency International