Brussels, 09/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 8 October, the European Parliament called on the European Union to bring in legislation, similar to the “Magnitski Law” in the United States, establishing a link between corruption and human rights violations. With the adoption of the report “Corruption in the public and private sectors: the impact on human rights in third countries” by Ana Gomes (S&D, Portugal), MEPs call on the Commission to “draw up an action plan, with a view to creating a mechanism for listing and imposing similar targeted sanctions against officials of third countries (including police officers, prosecutors and judges) involved in grave human rights violations and judicial 'manipulations' against whistleblowers, journalists reporting on corruption and human rights activists in third countries; stresses that criteria of inclusion on the list should be built up on the basis of well-documented, converging and independent sources and convincing evidence, allowing for mechanisms of redress for those targeted”. “The Council is reluctant, but we will keep up the pressure”, said Gomes. She also wants greater protection for whistleblowers who expose corruption, fraud, mismanagement and human rights abuses.
MEPs call on the Commission and the member states to apply the principle that their development aid programmes should be conditional on observance of international anti-corruption norms, and to introduce an anti-corruption clause into public procurement contracts.
EU member states should monitor companies based within their borders which are involved in acts of corruption in third countries and, where necessary, impose sanctions on them, the Parliament says. It calls on the member states to amend their criminal laws, where necessary, to establish jurisdiction over individuals of any nationality found on their territory who have committed acts of bribery or embezzlement of public funds, regardless of where the crime occurred, as long as the proceeds of those criminal activities are found in the member state in question or have been laundered there. (CG/transl.fl)