The European Parliament has called for a blacklist of corrupt governments to be drawn up so that EU development aid is not directed to crooked pockets, writes EUobserver. Last week MEPs voted in favour of a report by the Dutch socialist MEP Margrietus Van den Berg which “called for more transparent and effective EU aid and for rules that would keep banks from lending to nations that make it onto the blacklist.”

This of course makes sense. Why should European taxpayers help finance corrupt African regimes? But it remains unclear why the MEPs are so worried about corruption and transparency in Africa and other developing nations when it is almost certain that the EU itself would be the first to end up on such a blacklist – except of course that the EU will make sure it does not put itself on the list.

Transparency is not a well-known concept in Brussels, where after years of whistleblowers and commissions to clean up the EU corruption is still rampant. Whenever MEPs attempt to raise the debate they are blocked because the European elites are afraid of the debate – think what it might do to the EU’s image (especially now!). The EU is the world’s biggest aid donor (when you add up the 25 member states), providing a total of €35.5 billion per year, which is more than twice the next biggest donor – the US with €16 billion.

Corruption costs Africa’s economies some €121 billion a year, which is app. 25% of the combined annual GDP of the continent. It is true that something must be done here, but the focus of MEPs should also be to clean up their own front yard before looking to Africa. However, fighting corruption in the EU does not give the same good publicity as fighting it in Africa.