Izvor: N1 televizija, 03.Maj.2018, 16:29 (ažurirano 02.Apr.2020.)
COE: Serbia not doing well in fighting corruption
The Council of Europe (COE) said on Thursday that it had launched a procedure against nine countries, including Serbia, which were not effective in implementing recommendations for preventing corruption in respect of MPs, judges and prosecutors.
The key concerns by the Group of States against Corruption of the Council of Europe (GREKO) in its annual report were about corruption on both national and international level.
In addition to Serbia, procedure extends to Belgium, >> Pročitaj celu vest na sajtu N1 televizija << Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg Portugal, Spain and Turkey.
The COE’s Group added that although there was an overall progress in introducing new measures to fight corruption, their practical implementation in those countries remained slower than desirable.
GRECO’s procedure against Belarus and Switzerland is under way for disobeying earlier recommendations to put corruption cases in to a criminal code as well as to have an insight into “political financing” and a general legal framework for preventing corruption.
Marin Mrčela, GRECO’s President, said that “in 2017 there were numerous corruption allegations in many countries and institutions. Progress against corruption cannot be taken for granted. It requires staying alert; because there is always a risk of regression.”
He added that “political leaders should show a strong leadership against corruption. MPs, judges and prosecutors should lead by example, and citizens should strongly demand from their representatives that they act not only respecting the law, but also according to the highest ethical standards”.
The report said that journalists played an essential role in fighting corruption, specifically mentioning the case of a Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia whose murder “revealed once again the need to protect journalists who investigate corruption and to bring the perpetrators of crimes against them to justice.”
Speaking about the report, Thorbjørn Jagland, COE Secretary-General said: “Corrupt practices both at national and international level, as we have witnessed within the Council of Europe´s Parliamentary Assembly, constitute a major threat to our institutions and to democracy itself.”
He added that it was “crucial that national authorities and international bodies take a clear stance against corruption and swiftly implement anti-corruption measures. We must ensure full compliance with GRECO´s recommendations in law and practice.”
