The upside in Europe's battle against corruption
In an ambitious project on anti-corruption called ANTICORRP , research shows that Europeans rate their recent experiences with public services very highly. In a survey of 85 000 respondents from 206 regions spanning 24 countries worldwide, western European countries related very few instances of petty corruption. However, the experience of western Europeans differs greatly from respondents in Greece, Italy and New Member States.Results from the surveys have also shed light on specific sectors in the countries most plagued by corruption, with health care taking the lead. The 'Global comparative trends analysis report' reveals that western Europe, North America and Oceania are leading the anti-corruption battle. At the same time, sub-Saharan Africa and the former Soviet Union are clearly lagging behind.A reassuring finding is that countries combating corruption can make marked improvement in a short period of time. This is evidenced in the cases of Georgia, Liberia and Rwanda.Although the project has many more activities to conduct and researchers admit they cannot yet account for the diversity in trends, ANTICORRP has already contributed to theory building. This has been realised through efforts to arrive at a definition of corruption that is applicable across borders and throughout the world.There is no doubt that the project will provide valuable information for both policymakers and the general public. This will lead to a better understanding of the causes of corruption. It will also help in the development of new policies and procedures aimed at combating corruption in Europe and on a global scale.
Keywords
Corruption, public policy, public services, health care
