Corruption: The EC Fraud Dimension Available to Purchase

As part of a plan to combat fraud affecting the EC budget, efforts are now being made at EU level to fight corruption, which is particularly rife in public procurement. As a result, two new legal instruments have been put forward to harmonise the treatment, in the laws of the Member States, of corrupt officials handling EC funds and to improve judicial and other forms of cooperation. The author argues this can only be seen as the first step in the fight against corruption. Cooperation will remain a crucial issue in tackling corruption successfully for the foreseeable future. The protection of informants, and the lifting of officials' immunities will also need to be clarified.