Transparency International EU establishes first Advisory Group

Transparency International EU (TI EU) is pleased to announce the establishment for the first time of a group of senior advisors that will guide the work of the organisation. The group will be chaired by Mario Monti, President of Bocconi University and former Prime Minister of Italy, and will comprise of a number of distinguished individuals in the fields of anti-corruption policy, academic research, civic activism and EU affairs. The full list of members and the terms of reference is appended below.

The group will advise TI EU on its activities and how to implement its mission. The first task of the group will be to help develop a strategy for TI EU’s advocacy for the period 2016-2020. This period will see a number of challenges for the EU, while widespread corruption, fraud, money-laundering and tax evasion remain persistent problems in many member states and accession countries.

“The EU faces a growing number of challenges in the areas of migration, security and the economy“, said Carl Dolan, Director of Transparency International EU. “None of these can be tackled without strong institutions and the rule of law, but these have been frequently undermined by corruption and declining public trust. The EU needs a strong and visible anti-corruption policy at all levels to reverse this trend”.

“The work of Transparency International in making this happen will need the guidance of experienced and committed people, and we are delighted to have this in abundance in our advisory group. We look forward to benefiting from their collective wisdom and expertise in the months and years ahead”.

Mario Monti said: “I am honored to chair this advisory group and to work with Transparency International and the personalities of great competence and experience who have accepted to join the group. Corruption, tax evasion, fraud, money-laundering prevent the good functioning of public institutions and distort the market. They ultimately undermine citizens’ confidence in both the “market” and the “social” elements of what the EU intends to achieve: a “highly competitive social market economy”.

Much progress has been made by national governments and EU institutions to address corruption and the other issues mentioned above, but much more needs to be done.

The group met for the first occasion today and discussed the major trends and challenges that a successful anti-corruption strategy at EU level will need to engage with. The strategy will be published in spring 2016 and the Advisory Group will meet at least once a year to discuss progress and other relevant matters.
_________________________________

EDITORS NOTES:

Mario Monti has had a strong track record in the public offices he held in promoting transparency and facilitating the fight against corruption and tax evasion.

As European Commissioner for Internal Market and Tax Policy (1995-1999), he strengthened the rules on public procurement, introduced rules against money-laundering, launched the tax package against harmful tax competition, unanimously adopted in December 1997. That provided the basis for the savings tax directive and exchange of information, the code of conduct on business taxation, the negotiations with Switzerland, Liechtenstein and other third countries.

In his subsequent capacity ad Commissioner for Competition (1999-2004), he applied state-aid rules to preferential tax treatments by many Member States, including through tax rulings. He also introduced the State Aid Register, to give cross-EU transparency to often hidden forms of subsidies. He initiated actions against state guarantees to financial institutions (Landesbanken and others). He brought enforcement of competition rules against cartels and abuses of dominant position to higher levels of both prevention and repression.

As Prime Minister (2011-2013) and Finance Minister (2011-2012) of Italy, he introduced new powers for the tax authorities in the fight against evasion and elusion, introduced total transparency of the income and assets position of members of governments. He also brought to approval the first comprehensive law against corruption and rules on incompatibility and uneligibility as members of Parliament of persons with indictments above certain levels.
__________________________________

MEMBERSHIP OF TI EU ADVISORY GROUP (December 2015)