Debate: Corruption and human rights
Date: TUESDAY, 15 FEBRUARY 2022
Speaker: Margaritis Schinas
Language: EN

And it has a cost. The cost of corruption is immense. It is estimated from 2—5% of global GDP. Corruption represents a structural obstacle to the full enjoyment and respect of human rights. Let us think, for example, the right to health. With the COVID pandemic straining all our resources and our healthcare systems, corrupt practices may divert crucial resources from hospitals and healthcare professionals, but also corruption affects disproportionately vulnerable groups and persons. For us in the European Union, the fight against corruption is synonymous to the model of society we represent, and your report rightfully refers to the link between internal and external coherence, which is indeed crucial for the credibility of our action. Within the EU, the Commission is systematically monitoring anti—corruption measures in all Member States within the framework of the rule-of-law mechanism and the prevention of corruption is also key in the post—pandemic recovery and resilience plans of our Member States. Our European Public Prosecutor’s Office can investigate and prosecute all perpetrators of criminal offences affecting the budget of the European Union, and they know that. At the global level, the Union is a party to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and supports actively its universalisation. It is also one of the conventions that GSP+ beneficiary countries need to ratify and effectively implement. The fight against corruption and the protection of human rights are cross—cutting and mutually reinforcing elements in our external action. The EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2024 includes concrete anti—corruption actions, which we are also implementing on the ground. A few examples, an EU/Council of Europe Horizontal Facility II, we contribute to the order of EUR 35 million to increase compliance of enlargement countries with European standards and EU acquis, including in the areas of rule of law and fight against corruption. And, additionally, our human rights dialogues are opportunities to discuss issues related to corruption and its negative impact on the universal respect of human rights. EU anti—corruption support to third countries follows a holistic and human—rights—based approach, with a view to tackling links between corruption, human rights and the improvement of transparency, the fighting against impunity, the strengthening of the anti—corruption agencies and the support of the investigative capacity and justice reform, as well as international judicial cooperation. Just to give you an example of this multi—layered approach, only in Nigeria we are actively involved in a project of EUR 25 million to promote the rule of law and fight corruption. We are now engaged in a safe and enabling environment for civil society that has a crucial role to play as an actor against corruption. We protect whistleblowers and provide support to national human rights institutions, human rights defenders and journalists at risk. They are all our valuable allies in exposing corruption and corporate abuse. Honourable Members, this is a fight in which Europe has a lead and this is a fight that Europe is determined to win.