Economy and the fight on corruption: EU commitmentsCorruption takes different forms, penetrating economic mechanisms whose overall estimated costs amount to 1% of the EU GDP (120 billion euros per year). It causes, according to the cases, market distortions, unfair competition, illegal speculation and earning, public costs… It discourages investments and brings new thrust to organized crime. Thus on May 6 the Commission presented a package of measures “part of a more comprehensive response to the challenges that corruption poses to our societies in economic, social and political terms”. For the College, “there is a need for firm political commitment to fight this crime”. The Executive will release an Anti-Corruption Report, to monitor and assess Member States’ efforts against corruption and encourage more political engagement” by EU27. “The mechanism will help Member States to better enforce legislation and fully implement their international commitments, as well as to improve the coherence of their anti-corruption policies and actions”. Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Home Affairs, said: “The fight against corruption needs priority attention. While there is quite sophisticated legal frameworks at international and European level, we have seen that implementation among EU Member States is very uneven”. Thus a stronger commitment is needed at national level and as relates to common policies. EU Anti-Corruption Report, which will be issued by the Commission every two years, starting in 2013, “will identify trends and weaknesses that need to be addressed” at national level and by EU27, “as well as stimulate peer learning and exchange of best practices”. The Report will be based on inputs from a variety of sources, including the existing monitoring mechanisms (by the Council of Europe, the OECD and the United Nations. “In parallel, the EU should negotiate its participation in the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) to create synergies between both mechanisms”. The Commission “together with EU agencies such as Europol, Eurojust and CEPOL, as well as with OLAF, will step up judicial and police cooperation and improve training of law enforcement officials”. It will work towards modernised EU rules on public procurement and accounting standards and statutory audit for EU companies; “It will also adopt a strategy to combat fraud affecting the financial interests of the EU in 2011”.Education, over 200thousand Erasmus grants in a year “The Erasmus program is one of the great success stories of the European Union”. Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth commented on the figures on participation in the Erasmus programme set up in 1987 to enable university students (and, more recently even teaching staff) to continue their higher studies in a different country. Figures released by the EU Executive show that “More than 213 000 students received ‘Erasmus’ grants to study or train abroad during the 2009/10 academic year”- a new record and 7.4% increase on the previous year’s figure. For the Executive, “on current trends, the EU will reach its target of supporting 3 million European students by 2012/13”. The three most “popular” destinations for students in 2009/10 were Spain, France and the United Kingdom. Spain sent the largest number of students abroad, followed by France and Germany.. “61% of Erasmus students were female in the year in question”. In 2009-10 the EU invested 415 million euro in this program. “Erasmus is more popular than ever – Vassiliou said – and I am committed to securing more resources for it in future”. Moreover, the average monthly Erasmus grant received by students fell to 254. But Vassiliou believes that more can be done to this regard. According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, “many students are thwarted in their ambition to study or train abroad due to a lack of funding. It found that, of those who wanted to go abroad, 33% couldn’t afford it and nearly two-thirds (63%) of those who did had to rely on private funding or savings. “This finding underlines the need to strengthen our mobility programmes, which provide excellent value for money,” said Commissioner Vassiliou. Studying or training abroad helps young people to develop skills which employers value – from language learning and greater inter-cultural awareness to leadership and adaptability. Erasmus students tend to be more willing to work abroad later in life”.
