Two-thirds of EU citizens are convinced that corruption is widespread in their country and only 30% have faith in their government to fight it efficiently, told reporters in a briefing, citing data the EU’s been collecting. The assembly’s then-Vice President Eva Kaili is among those still under an investigation by Belgian prosecutors. While Jourova says corruption remains an issue across the 27-nation EU, it’s also tarnished the image of the European institutions after it emerged late last year that some European Parliament members were suspected of taking bribes in return for pushing Qatar’s agenda in EU-level discussions. The overhaul “will raise the bar for EU-wide definitions and penalties of corruption crimes and will help authorities to catch and punish the criminals, be it from public or private sector.” “Corruption is like a cancer - if left to run rampant, it will suffocate our democratic society and destroy its institutions,” European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said in a statement. Under the plans, EU nations would need to adhere to minimum requirements to ensure “that privileges and immunity can be lifted during corruption investigations” and that police and prosecutors “have appropriate investigative tools to fight corruption.” (Bloomberg) - The European Union’s executive proposed stricter rules aimed at lifting immunity in criminal investigations faster as part of an overhaul of anti-corruption laws amid scandals such as the Qatar bribery affair that’s roiled the bloc’s own parliament.
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