Combating corruption in new and old EU member states

• In Event: Comparative Studies in Corruption Control - A Global Criminology Network Panel

Abstract

According to the European Commission in its 2014 report, corruption continues to be a challenge for Europe - a phenomenon that costs the European economy around 120 billion euros per year. Corruption varies in nature and extent from one country to another, but it affects all member states. According to the report, EU member states have taken many initiatives, but the results are uneven and more should be done to prevent and punish corruption. Member states have a wide variety of corruption-related problems, as well as of corruption control mechanisms, some of which have proved effective and others have failed to produce results. This paper will look at two extremes on this continuum. According to the report, the Netherlands' integrated approach to prevent and detect corruption could serve as a model elsewhere in the EU. In Romania, both petty and political corruption remains a significant problem, but an ambitious National Anti-Corruption Strategy has been launched. While the EU-report gives a broad oversight, this paper will offer a comparative in-depth analysis of the corruption problems and policies based on fieldwork in these two countries.

Authors

• David Schuster, Free University of Amsterdam

• Wim Huisman, VU University Amsterdam