BERLIN
Poorly implemented rules and safeguards leave EU institutions vulnerable to corruption, according to a report by anti-corruption organizations Transparency International on Thursday.
"The EU institutions have done a lot to put their house in order in recent years but strong foundations are being undermined by complex rules, complacency, and a lack of follow up,” said Carl Dolan, Director of the Transparency International EU Office. "If the new EU leadership is serious about arresting the decline in trust and confidence, corruption risks need to be dealt with before they become corruption scandals."
In the organization's first study of the EU, it examined ten institutions including the European Parliment, European Council and European Court of Justice.
Inadequate provision for the protection of media informants also removes incentive for EU officials to report misconduct.
"Especially the barriers are not sufficient against escalating lobbying," said Edda Muller, Chairwoman of Transparency Germany. She said there is a need for a mandatory register of active lobbyists because the current list was not binding and "by no means complete." There are currently 6,000 listed lobbyists but the actual number is thought to be double.
The study took nine months between 2013 and 2014 and analyzed institutions in terms of independence, transparency, accountability, integrity and resources based on publications and interviews with representatives of all the institutions surveyed.
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