The focus of the 2017 International Anti-Corruption Day is 'United against corruption for development, peace and security'.
ADVERTISEMENTInternational Anti-Corruption Day 2017 is upon us and this year's theme is 'United against corruption for development, peace and security'.
According to the UN around 850 billion euros is paid in bribes annually, while more than double that is stolen every year through corruption - or to put it another way, more than five percent of the global GDP.
The Hungarian branch of Transparency International has organised a conference focussing specifically on the EU and corruption.
József Péter Martin, TI Hungary’s Executive Director said:
"In our opinion, EU funds today in Hungary are often distributed in a partial manner, most projects are overpriced and the funds are frequently wasted on unjustified objectives. It is no exaggeration to say that in this financial cycle, hundreds of billions (HUF) of EU public money have gone into unauthorised pockets."
It comes just under two weeks after European officials wrote an open letter to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker calling for a temporary halt in funding to Budapest.
But Hungary is not the only EU country under the microscope. According to Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index Slovenia ranks 31st globally, Spain 41st and the Czech Republic 47th... And where corrupt practices have been exposed, both the public and authorities have at times seemed to turn a blind eye.