EU must make corruption fight a top priority

5.00.00pm GMT Wed 9th Dec 2009

On International Anti-Corruption Day Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford has urged EU member states including the UK to do much more to tackle bribery and graft. She said:

"I am pleased to say that since I asked parliamentary questions 2 years ago, all EU member states have finally ratified the United Nations Convention on Corruption. But there is far from being a comprehensive EU anti-corruption policy."

"But as we know, it is not only in the world outside Europe that corruption exists. In both existing Member States as well as candidate countries it is shockingly widespread and pervasive. Greece, Bulgaria and Romania are only joint 71st least corrupt country on the Transparency International Index."

"The UK's failure to prosecute arms dealer BAE set a very poor example; only now is a Bribery Bill under consideration."

"The EU's accession to the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) must be fast-tracked, and then the vigorous enforcement of anti-bribery laws made a key EU priority, internally as well as externally."

ENDS