International

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong is urging the establishment of a ‘master plan’ for the fight against corruption in the Eurozone countries experiencing economic difficulties. Annually, €120 billion is lost as a result of corruption. As De Jong says, ´The fight against corruption is a fight against the crisis. More tax income, less working on the black, and putting a stop to bribery are necessary for economic recovery.’

Master Plan

De Jong put forward his proposal for a ‘master plan’ during yesterday evening’s debate on the European Commission’s anti-corruption agenda, pointing to the fact that countries where corruption was a major problem were performing far less well economically than were those with relatively little corruption. “I want to see Commissioner Mälmstrom showing some leadership and getting down to work on this,” he says. “Combatting corruption should form an immovable part of the rescue plan for the problem countries. The Commission should therefore be helping Greece, for example, in establishing an anti-corruption police unit.”

Holding to international agreements

In the international context agreements are often made regarding tackling corruption, and a major aspect of these agreements concerns the production of an annual report by the member states and the Commission on progress in combatting the problem. According to De Jong, however, “the Commission lacks a sense of urgency and only intends to produce a report in 2013. Not only that, but the member states are not being encouraged to do something about internationally operating corporations who violate corruption treaties. A situation in which the Netherlands never prosecutes the likes of Phillips and Shell when they are guilty of corruption in other countries cannot, however, continue.”