Definition and Measurement of Corruption in the States of the European Union and the Use of Directions for Assessing Corruption Actions in Ukraine

Keywords: corruption, indicators, measurement, EU member states, anti-corruption measures, corruption offenses, business.

Abstract

The article reveals issues related to corruption, which has a negative impact on social security, public spending, budget deficit, tax collection, vulnerable employment, gender equality and the use of EU funds, and approaches to its measurement. It is noted that corruption is associated with an increase in the level of organized crime, a weakening of the rule of law, a decrease in voter turnout in parliamentary elections and trust in state institutions. It is noted that the pandemic and subsequent socio-economic crises called into question the adequacy of the existing mechanisms for controlling the unprecedented volume of finances within the framework of the EU recovery plan. In this complex context, legal and policy frameworks as well as EU instruments that assess anti-corruption efforts are important at all times. But at the same time, all EU member states, solving this problem, have different approaches and methods of its grouping and measurement. According to the conducted studies, there are currently no corruption-free zones in the EU, as all member states have touched this problem, albeit to varying degrees. The concept of corruption is defined as a broader socio-economic problem that covers a number of issues, namely: conflict of interests; clientelism; various forms of favoritism; influence peddling and other similar forms of behavior. A study of modern statistics of corruption offenses as of the first half of 2023 was conducted, which shows positive developments in Ukraine in the fight against corruption, but at the same time, the rate of violations of financial control requirements remains extremely high. Given the difficulty of directly measuring corruption, various (indirect) indicators have been developed based on the perception or experience of this phenomenon and an attempt to quantify the cost of corruption in the EU. It is noted that the main international study is the Global Corruption Barometer (GCB), which collects data on the experience and perception of corruption around the world since 2003. In 2021, the Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) – EU focused on measurements in EU Member States, which confirmed the widespread perception of corruption in Europe and showed that EU citizens are concerned about the close ties between business and politics. Therefore, in the article, the author examines issues related to the measurement of corruption for the possibility of more accurately forecasting the development of this negative phenomenon in the future and taking appropriate preventive measures.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Oleksandr Kotukov, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 4 Svobody Sq, Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine

PhD in Sociology, Associate Professor,
Associate Professor of the Department of Public Policy,
V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 4 Svobody Sq., Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine

Vitalii Solovykh, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 4 Svobody Sq, Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine

Doctor in Public Administration, Professor,
Professor of the Department of International Relations, International Information and Security,
V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 4 Svobody Sq., Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine

References

Busol, O. Yu. “Investments and corruption: who whom? Center for Research of Social Communications of the NBUV”. available at: http://nbuviap.gov.ua/index.php?option= com_content&view=article&id=1834: koruptsiya&catid=8&Itemid=350 (Accessed 30 June 2023).

Harashchuk, V., and Mukhataev, A. (2007), “Categorical and legal characteristics of corruption: definition of the concepts “corruption offense” and “corruption crime””. Bulletin of the Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, vol. 3 (54). P. 254–265.

Golovin, B. M., Kolb, O. G. and Obolentsov, V. F. (2019) Prevention of corruption: a textbook. Kharkiv: Pravo, 2019. 296 p.

Grinko, A. and Bakalyar, D. (2020), “The impact of deviant forms of development of the entrepreneurial environment on the economic security of Ukrainian enterprises”, International journal of innovative technologies in economy, vol. 5(32), pp. 50–55.

Dr’omov, S. V., Kalnysh, Y.G. and Usatiy, G.O. (2010), Koruptsiia v Ukraini: prychyny poshyrennia ta mekhanizmy protydii. Zelena knyha derzhavnoi polityky, Derzhavne pidpryiemstvo «Nakovo-vyrobnychyj tsentr Priorytety», Kyiv, Ukraine.

NAZK. (2023), “Unified state register of persons who have committed corruption or corruption-related offenses”, available at: https://corruptinfo.nazk.gov.ua/ (Accessed 30 June 2023).

Effectiveness of preventing and countering corruption in Ukraine: problems and prospects, available at: http://www.vidkryti-ochi.org.ua/2015/02/blog-post.html. (Accessed 30 June 2023).

Kravchuk, M. and Lavriv, I. (2021), “The essence of corruption and the main ways to overcome it in Ukraine”, Actual problems of jurisprudence. vol. 3 (27). 2021. pp. 31-36.

“Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses”. (1984), vol. 8073-Х № 8073-Х, available at: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/80731-10#n1854 (Accessed 30 June 2023).

Melenko, O. V., Grindey, L. M. and Stratii, O. V. (2021), “Psychological and legal aspects of combating corruption in Ukraine at the current stage”, Actual problems of domestic jurisprudence, vol. 5. pp. 93-99.

Melnyk, M. I. (2004), Corruption – corrosion of power (social essence, trends and consequences, countermeasures), Jurid. dumka, Kyiv, Ukraine. 400 p.

Nevmerzhytskyi E. V. (2008), Corruption in Ukraine: causes, consequences, counteraction mechanisms, KNT dumka, Kyiv, Ukraine. 368 p.

Nurullaev I. “The role of the UN in the formation of a global international legal anti-corruption strategy”. Legal Ukraine. 2007. No. 12. pp. 93–96.

Trepak, V.M. (2020), Protudiya Koruptsii v Ukraini: theoretical and applied problems. LNU named after Ivan Franko, Lviv, Ukraine. 444 p.

Barro, R. J. (1991), “Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries”. Quarterly Journal of Economics, pp. 407-443.

Corman, M.-R. (2021), “A critical appraisal of the eu’s anti-corruption legal capacity Emerging stronger from the Covid-19 crisis?” Institute of European Democrats. Brussels, Belgium. 31 р.

Corsetti, G., Devereux, М., Hassler, J., Jenkinson, T., Saint-Paul, G., Sinn, H., Sturm, J. and Vives, X. (2009), “The European Economy: Macroeconomic outlook and policy”. EEAG Report on the European Economy 2009. CESifo Group Munich, Munich, p. 169. available at: www.cesifo-group.de (Accessed 30 June 2023).

Charron, N., Lapuente, V. and Rothstein B. (2013), The quality of government and corruption from a European perspective: a comparative study of good government in EU Regions, 264 p.

Mauro, P. (1995), “Corruption and Growth”. The Quarterly Journal of Economics. Oxford University Press. vol. 110, no. 3, pp. 681-712.

Mungiu-Pippidi, A., Martínez, R. and Kukutschka, B. (2013), “Controlling Corruption in Europe”, The Anticorruption Report. vol. 1.

Published
2023-09-07
How to Cite
Kotukov, O., & Solovykh, V. (2023). Definition and Measurement of Corruption in the States of the European Union and the Use of Directions for Assessing Corruption Actions in Ukraine. Theory and Practice of Public Administration, 1(76), 93-106. https://doi.org/10.26565/1727-6667-2023-1-07
Section
Peculiarities of State Personnel Policy Realization in Ukraine