EU strips millions from Bulgaria, its most corrupt member state

[Risto the Great]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7748300.stm

The European Commission has stripped Bulgaria of 220m euros (£188m) in EU funding over its failure to tackle corruption and organised crime.

In July, the commission froze more than 500m euros in aid to Bulgaria, one of its newest and poorest members, following a scathing EU report.

The commission has now confirmed that the country will definitely lose nearly half that amount.

Bulgaria is rated as the most corrupt of the EU's 27 member states.

As the economic crisis starts to bite, this unprecedented move is meant to show that the European Commission is not squandering taxpayers' money, and to warn new and potential EU members that they have to crack down on entrenched corruption.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said cutting the funds due to Bulgaria was an uncomfortable decision.

"I regret this decision because Bulgaria is an economic success story, it's a very committed and constructive member state," he said.

"But we have to play by the book and we have to respect the rules of financial management and therefore there is for the moment no other option."

No convictions

Bulgaria has taken some steps since the EU froze its funding in July.

But Mr Rehn said most of the measures were only the promise of future actions and had not delivered concrete results.

Bulgarian prosecutors are investigating some 80 cases of embezzlement, but no senior official has been convicted for corruption and more than 100 mafia-style killings remain unpunished. Mr Rehn warned that recent reviews had revealed new irregularities, and Bulgaria had to acknowledge the risk of political interference.

The commission will continue to review progress, and hundreds of millions more are at stake.

But that is only a drop in the ocean.

Until 2013, Bulgaria - described by Transparency International as the most corrupt country in the EU - stands to receive 11bn euros in EU funds.

[Risto the Great]

It appears they cannot lie as well as the Greeks.

[Venom]

That, and the fact they are not the child of Europe like greece is.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Until 2013, Bulgaria - described by Transparency International as the most corrupt country in the EU - stands to receive 11bn euros in EU funds.

Nothing much has changed.

http://bnr.bg/sites/en/News_eng/Pages/en0112_B2.aspx

published Thursday, December 01, 2011 11:02 AM Radio Bulgaria News

Transparency International report: Bulgaria perceived as EU’s most corrupt country

Transparency International has announced the results of the International Corruption Index for 2011, where Bulgaria has been ranked first in terms of corruption in the EU. The survey is published annually since 1995 and reflects the perceptions of the level of corruption according to the business sector, local and foreign experts in the respective countries. The index for 2011 comprises 183 countries in the world. Bulgaria’s index is lowest in the EU – 3.3 on a scale of 10. Globally, Bulgaria has dropped from 73rd to 86th place. The EU countries with lowest corruption are Denmark and Finland. The two Scandinavian countries have an index of 9.5 and rank second in the world in the list of countries with lowest corruption levels.

[George S.]

i read somewhere that the toal loans of the eu is in wxcess of 12 trillion dollars.Where are memner states going to find the money to pay it back.They applied & got that money on false pretences probably never to pay it back.If that's not corruption i don't know what is.

[Zarni]

Bulgaria satisfy s all EU requirements so this all all normal business Bulgaria inst corrupt when you really think about it, it is just playing by the rules normal in the EU zone as if Spain and Italy are any different probably worse stupid dinky Tartars

[George S.]

zarni i read somewhere where the bulgarians borrowed more money based on their gdp % from greece.I'd presume that the bulgarians would be defaulting as where are they going to get the money to pay it back to greece.