Strasbourg, 03.06.2020 – Governments and public-office holders should act in an exemplary way by respecting anti-corruption measures and transparency standards, said the Council of Europe anti-corruption body GRECO in its annual report, published today.
The report reviews the measures to prevent corruption taken in GRECO’s member states in 2019 in respect of parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors, as well as in central governments – including top executive functions – and law enforcement agencies.
Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić said: “Corruption undermines citizens’ trust in democracy and in democratic institutions. Implementing effective anti-corruption measures and promoting integrity and transparency should therefore be a priority for public authorities at all times. States have made progress, but they should step up their efforts to fully implement GRECO´s recommendations”.
GRECO’s president Marin Mrčela expressed concern about widespread corruption allegations in many countries concerning persons in charge of public institutions in recent years. “No person, state or institution is immune to corruption. Politicians, irrespective of their political affiliation, need to lead by example and it is exemplarity which is expected of them. Politicians are meant to serve, not to rule, the people.”, he said.
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In 2019, compliance with GRECO recommendations under the 4th evaluation round slightly increased: 36% of recommendations had been fully implemented by the end of year. The recommendations with the lowest level of compliance continued to be those issued in respect of MPs (27%), whilst it was higher in respect of judges (37%) and prosecutors (46%). “This explains to a large extent why people’s trust in politics is very low and will be even lower if politicians don’t step up their compliance with integrity standards”, said GRECO’s President.
The report underlines that since the 4th evaluation round began in 2012, nearly half of GRECO’s member states have carried out constitutional reforms following its recommendations. GRECO member states have carried out over 150 concrete legislative, regulatory or institutional reforms to implement GRECO recommendations.
GRECO continued to make progress in the evaluation of the prevention of corruption in governments and law enforcement agencies: 18 countries had been evaluated by the end of 2919. GRECO often found shortcomings in the way countries dealt with lobbying, conflicts of interest and “revolving doors” in central governments, including the need to extend anti-corruption measures to advisers. GRECO’s recommendations on law enforcement agencies referred mostly to codes of conduct, promotion and dismissal, conflicts of interest, post-employment restrictions, and the protection of whistleblowers.
At the end of 2019, 15 countries were subject to GRECO’s 4th round non-compliance procedure: Armenia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Turkey. Belarus was the only country in the non-compliance procedure under the joint 1st and 2nd rounds, and the 3rd round.
In 2019, coinciding with its 20th anniversary, GRECO decided to start a new advisory function, by which it will be able to provide, upon request, assistance to member states and Council of Europe bodies by preparing expertise reports.
The report also contains a feature article on the European Public Prosecutor Office by Laura Kovesi, Chief European Public Prosecutor.
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GRECO´s 2019 annual report
ARMENIA
Level of implementation of GRECO´s recommendations on the prevention of corruption in respect of MPs, judges and prosecutors as of 31/12/2019
The document also includes information on the level of compliance of countries on which GRECO has published compliance report in 2020.
Armenia
At the end of 2019, 15 countries were (and are still today, 3 June 2020) subject to GRECO´s non-compliance procedure due to their low level of compliance of GRECO´s recommendations in respect of MPs, judges and prosecutors: Armenia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Monaco, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Turkey.
Most recent assessment by GRECO: 2019
⦁ As of 31 December 2019, Armenia had implemented 9 out of 24 recommendations (37.5%). It has partially implemented the other 15 recommendations (62.5%).
⦁ As of 31 December 2019, Armenia was among the countries to which GRECO had issued a high number of recommendations. Turkey was the country to which GRECO issued the highest number of recommendations (37), followed by Greece (25), North Macedonia (25), Armenia (24), Bosnia and Herzegovina (23), Poland (22), Azerbaijan (21), Slovenia (21), Austria (20), Belgium (19), Bulgaria (19) and Estonia (19).
⦁ As of 31 December 2019, Armenia was among the countries with the highest number of non-implemented or only partially implemented recommendations. Turkey was the country with the highest number (33), followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina (23), Austria (19), Greece (19), North Macedonia (17), Serbia (17), Belgium (16), Armenia (15), Cyprus (14), Czech Republic (14), Portugal (14) and Hungary (13).
⦁ As of 31 December 2019, Armenia was among the countries with a very high proportion of not fully implemented recommendations in respect of MPs (86%). Fourteen countries had not yet fully implemented any of GRECO´s recommendations in respect of MPs: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey). Other countries with a very high proportion of not fully implemented recommendations were Belgium (88%), Armenia (86%), Hungary (86%), North Macedonia (86%), Moldova (83%), Poland (83%), Lithuania (80%) and Luxembourg (80%).
Armenia: compliance as assessed by GRECO in 2017
The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO)
