Financial Transparency Coalition

Cyprus's teetering economy needs a significant injection of bail-out cash from its European Union partners. However, a group of countries, led by Germany, is baulking at the prospect of propping up what many regard as a money-laundering haven. A bail-out package, it is argued, could see eurozone taxpayers footing the bill for protecting the offshore banking deposits of criminals. European leaders are arguing that Cyprus should have to beef up its anti-money laundering controls in order to qualify for any bail-out package.

In January 2013′s Taxcast: A significant ruling against Dell in Spain, India shelves rules that would have tackled corporate tax abuse until 2016, the EU threatens to blacklist Switzerland and Naomi takes a look at ‘Google Capitalism.’ (An extended edition to kick off 2013 – just under 20 mins).

Europe’s rankings in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2012 are as diverse as the region itself. Clearly the perceived level of corruption in Greece (94th, the lowest EU state) is entirely different from that of Denmark and Finland, tied with New Zealand in first place. However, the old adage that corruption only occurs in the countries of the South, rings rather hollow.

BRUSSELS - Today the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) voted in favour of assuming a strong position on European anti-corruption legislation, which would oblige oil, gas, mining firms and the logging industry to report what they pay to governments in countries in which they work. International agency Oxfam and the European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad) welcome the MEPs’ ambitious proposal on this legislation, which would not only fight against corruption in the extractive or forestry sectors but also in others like banking, telecommunications and construction. MEPs also sent a clear signal that in three years, they want...