Corruption, or how to tame the shrew with the European Union stick: the new anti-corruption initiative of the European Commission

Abstract

This article explains the Commission’s anti-corruption package, as adopted on 6 June 2011. It also looks at the rationale behind the setting up of a European Union anti-corruption reporting mechanism, the presumptions on which this mechanism is built, as well as its objectives and targets. This article will reflect upon the reasons which justify an increase in European Union action against corruption, the specific elements of the anti-corruption package, and the specific anti-corruption priorities in a number of internal and external European Union policy areas. It will also examine the challenges faced by a reinforced European Union anti-corruption policy.