"No country is immune to corruption. All countries are required to take concrete measures to prevent and counter corruption", recalls the annual report of the Council of Europe's anti-corruption body (GRECO), published on 25 June, which is alarmed by an overall decrease in vigilance.
According to Council of Europe experts, the "public perception of low levels of corruption" is in itself a danger, as it can mask reprehensible behaviour and/or open the door to potential abuses.
If they want to ensure both their democratic functioning and their reputation, all countries must properly manage conflicts of interest, respect ethical standards, guarantee transparency in the financing of political parties and the independence of the judiciary, they recalled, while regretting the slow pace at which GRECO's recommendations were implemented.
Based on evaluations carried out in its 49 Member States (the 47 Council of Europe member states as well as Belarus and the United States), these were not implemented until 2018: Only 34% of them were satisfactorily completed.
GRECO sounds the alarm and calls on States to act on it without delay.
See the report: https://bit.ly/2Yb2w9D (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)