CLRAE Head Van Staa to EuroFora:AntiCorruption Fight also at Local/Regional levels includes Citizens

                                                                 
*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/19-21 March 2013- Citizens' participation in the revitalization of Local/Regional Democracy, and defense of their Human Rights also at this level, can bring crucial contributions to the necessary Fight against Corruption, which undermines Democracy, said in substance, replying to an "EuroFora"s Question, the experienced President of CoE's PanEuropean watchdog for Local/Regional Democracy, Herwig Van Staa, f. governor of Tyrol, from Austria, (a forthcoming CoE Ministers' rotating chair in 2014, which aims to focus also on that topical EU/CoE issue).     
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     - "EuroFora" observed that  - "One of your (CLRAE's) Invitees (for the Spring 2013 Plenary session : Comp. Infra)  is an International NGO which includes also Citizens".  Therefore, we asked President Van Staa : - "You (CoE) have already supported the Participation of Citizens in Democratic Decision-making processes. But, now, do you really think that it's also in the Fight against Corruption that Citizens' participation might be interesting and useful in Future ?"
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 - "It's a Fact that we have Corruption in almost all (47) Member States of the CoE, in Differend levels and contexts, from Austria up to Countries where the Democratic Control is not so developed."

 - "But it's Necessary to Reduce Corruption, because it's the most Dangerous Enemy against Democratic Development", as he timely denounced, in a period where all European and other Countries in the World seach a  healthy, credible and sustainable way out of the recent Global Economic and Financial Crisis.

- "And even in order to really respect in practice Human Rights, also at Regional level, vis a vis Districts and/or Municipalities, etc., as well as regarding States, we (CoE) have to do all we can to fight against Corruption", stressed the experienced Head of CoE's Local/Regional Democracy watchdog, (obviously referring also to previous CLRAE debates and recommendations on the need to protect Citizens' fundamental Rights also vis a vis Local and Regional Authorities, as COE's Human Rights' Commissioner's office has already urged in recent years : Comp. relevant previous "EuroFora"s NewsReports).

=>  That's why,  as "I know, in order to tackle all the problems in this field, we have to Work Closely Together, and to use All Institutions, like Ombudsmen, Audit Courts, etc.

    + In fact, "we have to use All Possibilities (i.e. including Citizens, NGOs, etc) to Reduce Corruption in all (CoE) Member States", "and", in doing so", "we (CoE) have to Speak out very Openly against this Democratic Deficit", concluded President Van Staa, in his Reply to "EuroFora"s question.

    CoE's Secretary General, Tornbjorn Jagland himself, has already denounced recently the fact that "Corruption is the Biggest Threat to Democracy in Europe Today".

    => For this reason, Van Staa anounced, later-on, a key 2014 Anti-Corruption Ministerial PanEuropean Conference, under the forthcoming Austrian presidency of CoE's Committee of Ministers, next year.

 During a subsequent Plenary Debate focused on "Promoting Ethics" and "Preventing Corruption", CLRAE heard a keynote speech by CoE's Anti-Corruption Watchdog "GRECO", Marin Mrcela from Croatia, as well as by the Director of Investigations in EU's Anti-Corruption Office (OLAF), Petra Kneuer,  in addition to CoE's Parliamenary Assembly's General Rapporteur on Local/Regional Authorities, British MEP Sir Alan Meale, together with the President of ANTICOR, an original Association of (Multi-Party) Elected Representatives and Citizens (as per "EuroFora"s Question to Van Staa : Comp. Supra), Jean-Pierre Quies from France, (etc).

    GRECO's President warned that, "added to the State's Bureacracy", Corruption at Local/Regional level "can be even More Severe". This is what reveal also most International and European Statistics, President Mrcela observed : F.ex.,  on Local/Regional level, "Transparency International" has identified 6 main problematic areas : Namely, Dispersion between National and Local/Regional Finances, Discretion over Recruitment and/or Dismissal of Staff, Proximity to the Recipiants of Services, Relations with Contractors, Networks and/or  Lack of Oversight, etc. Some 18% People in average say that they have personaly been confronted with Bribery, while similar problems are perceived particularly vis a vis those Local/Regional Officials who deal with Public Tenders and in issuing Building Permits : 46-47% of responses to a relevant Questionaire. Around 1 our of 3 People associated Corruption with Inspectors. Officials dealing with Business Permits : 36%. And Officials working in the Public Health Sector : 30%. While Politicians involved in Local or Regional activities were also perceived critically, with 48% and 46%, respectively, as he denounced. In other words : Local and Regional levels of Government are not yet sufficiently Credible".

=>  - "This Legitimity Gap needs to be dealt with, as a matter of Urgency", GRECO's President stressed, anouncing his intention to "cooperate closely with the CLRAE", in order to create "Synergies" for this purpose; particularly through the promotion of "2 Values"  : (A) concerning "Governance : f.ex. by (Citizens, a.o.) Participation, ,; Transparency, Ethics, and Accountabilty". (B) "Efficiency"', f.ex. in using Resources,  etc. In this context, strengthening Democracy and MultiParty systems with transparent incomes and spending in Political Financing, etc., developing Transparency in Decision-making processes, particularly when there is a Discretionary power, Predictability, Collective decisions, respect of Procedures, Public Information, etc, are obviously useful, while Statistics prove that Prosecution against suspected Criminals, or even simple Disciplinary sanctions against staff are most "Ineffective", added to "Immunity" among obstacles vis a vis the possibility of bringing corruption to Justice, Mrcela pointed out.

+ When some 72% of People believe that Politicians are often "rather Corrupted", an obvious Risk is that Democracy is is threatened to be Discredited if most Citizens believe that "all Politicians are corrupted", warned ANTICORPs' Chairman, Jean-Pierre Guis, who advocated more Checks by Local Multi-Party Groups and by Audit Courts, shortening Politicians' carreer to 2 Mandates and to exclude from Public Service those condemned for Corruption, give control over Public Tenders' procedure also to the Opposition, (etc)., while particularly insisting on the need to develop a really Participatory "Democracy as the Best Anti-Corruption Weapon"...

- Corruption is estimated to cost about 120 Billions € each year, i.e. about 1% of EU's GDP, seriously affecting both EU's Growth potential and Democracy, denounced also EU's OLAF Director, Petra Kneuer, who also pointed at EU's important role as Aid Donor accross the World, pointing at the "basic need" to have an efficient EU Monitoring system, including on "Whistleblowers", etc.

    - OLAF already has a Special Department for Local/Regional Authorities, but it's only due to check the use of EU Funds, observed, during the Plenary Debate which fozllowed, CLRAE's Rapporteur on Corruption, who is Herwig Van Staa, I.e. CLRAE's President himself, (comp. Van Staa's previous statements to "EuroFora" as CLRAE's competent Spokesman). 

=>  But, in fact there is a general "Need for proper Criminal Procedures at International level", as a kind of "Court of Appeals", stressed Van Staa.

    - Also because things are often Tricky in this area : From the one side, there are "cases of Political Mafia, which leads to Corruption", while, from another side, f.ex. "at the NAZI era, attempts were made to Lock People (in jails), under Pretext of Theft", ²&a    President Van Staa pointed out; As for the Mass Medias,  although they have some Means to act, nevertheless, often there are "cases where the Media itself is part of a Corruption" ring, President Van Staa concluded.

    - GRECO's competent Chairman, Mrcela, welcomed CLRAE President Van Staa's Idea for "an International Anti-Corruption Court", but observed also that the proportions of the problem to tackle are so big, that it's better to also start using even Public Education, already "from the Kidergarden"...

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