Subscribe here: [ Ссылка ] But to anyone accepting payoffs. kickbacks. bribes.
I say: shame on you.
Shame on you for violating trust. The trust of the people of Europe. Who expect you to fight for their interests, not your own.
And for violating the trust of your colleagues here in the Parliament. Who work very hard. Honourably, truthfully, with decency.
The only way we can rebuild trust Is to fully support the investigations.
For the guilty, to be brought to justice.
And for us to root out corruption anywhere we find it.
As President von der Leyen said in her State of the Union speech three months ago:
Corruption erodes trust. We must fight back with the full force of the law.
And that’s what we must do every day.
Our anti-fraud office OLAF investigates fraud and corruption in the institutions.
The European Public Prosecutors Office fights crimes against the EU budget.
We have a strong rule of law mechanism. To help all Member States fight corruption with annual monitoring and reporting, and clear recommendations.
We set up a general law conditionality mechanism. To make sure no money from the EU budget goes into corrupt pockets.
We took steps to make sure no cent of covid recovery money ends up in the wrong hands.
The fight against corruption is central to our strategy against organised crime.
And a key target of European police cooperation under EMPACT
(The European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats).
As a union, we need to learn the hard lessons and take responsibility. Ensuring that we have better mechanisms and accountability in place.
Get rid of differences in national laws that obstruct the fight against corruption.
That’s why I next year will propose a new law.
We must criminalise all forms of corruption in all Member States.
Not just bribery as is the case today. But also trafficking in influence, illicit enrichment, embezzlement and abuse of power.
And impose tough EU-wide criminal penalties for these crimes.
The Commission continues to support an EU ethics body for all European institutions.
For the Parliament, Council, for the European Court of Justice, the ECB, the European Court of Auditors.
And also its advisory bodies - the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Without exception.
So we can all live by the same clear principles, live up to the same high standards.
President von der Leyen sent a letter to these institutions in March.
And Vice-President Jourová is carrying the discussions with our partners forward.
Let me be clear.
This scandal we discuss here today goes well beyond ethics violations.
This is a criminal, a serious criminal investigation.
The Parliament’s first response is the right one.
To cooperate fully with law enforcement.
But there is anger and frustration.
In this House and outside.
There is understandable outrage and frustration among the millions who believe in the European project.
Who saw how European unity helped us through the pandemic, and helps us now in response to Putin’s war.
We built trust based on action and now we must rebuild.
The fight against corruption is mission critical for Europe.
And we must have our own house in order first.
Our standards should always be the highest.
It’s what we expect of others. We must demand it for ourselves.
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