05 May. 2023 09:34
EU recently launched new initiative to tackle corruption. While it is a well welcomed development, it does not address the challenge in higher level, especially in the EU Commission and it’s President. Initiatives and regulations that are aimed in lower level of the nations, e.g. individuals, small corporations, but not the leadership are failing to safeguard Democracy. Without solving the recent corruption scandals on EU leadership level the new regulation is failing even before it started. Corruption can be addressed only through 100% transparency and ending impunity. Investigating and bringing to justice all cases, that are in the present or past involving corruption. Not just focusing on financial bribes, but essentially including EU signed agreements with foreign corporations and investigation to Nordstream pipeline sabotage, regardless if the end result will indict one of the EU’s partner nation. Silence in front of serious human rights abuses and apartheid, is also counted as a form of corruption and diminishing democracy in Europe. At the present the faith and trust in the EU Institutions have taken a free fall. As a remedy and to establish trust, it's a high time to tackle the corruption among the European leaders.
05 May. 2023 09:34
Review of request
Reviewing
05 Jun. 2023 09:50
Reviewed
Reviewing
06 Jun. 2023 08:13
Reviewed
Reviewed
Patrick Breyer & Markéta Gregorová @ 05 Jun. 2023 09:49
Thank you for reaching out to us! We very much welcome the Commission proposals as it demands Member States to set up independent body regarding corruption, raising awareness and trainings as well as providing crucial common definitions of criminal activities related to corruption for officials. We will work to improve it. We agree that another proposal is urgently needed to tackle corruption of elected members and Commissioners. Pirates have been calling on the Commission and the EP to come up with proposals related to setting up an ethics body, assets declaration, reinforcing the role of EPPO and OLAF, increased transparency etc. You can find all our detailed proposals after the Qatargate scandal in our Transparency and Integrity Plan: https://www.pirati.cz/documents/289/Final_Transparency_Integrity_plan_Pirates.pdf and our press release: https://european-pirateparty.eu/anti-corruption-measurest-are-inadequate/ Please also note the relevant section of our party programme which is currently being updated: https://european-pirateparty.eu/programme/civil-society/ Be assured that we will continue to fight corruption, for transparency, democracy and fundamental rights.
D.B. @ 30 May. 2023 11:10
I agree with this request for much increased transparency and proactive, effective monitoring at both the political and bureaucratic levels. The farther that power is removed from the citizenry, more is the effort that needs to be put into transparency and accountability. At this point, power abuse at the EU level seems to be systemic and an independent enquiry would not go amiss either.