In view of Finland’s reported reforms supporting greater integrity within the government and the police, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has decided to end the current compliance procedure.
In a report published on Thursday, 12 February, experts conclude that Finland has implemented 11 of the 14 recommendations put forward during this evaluation cycle.
The three recommendations that remain have to do with consolidating integrity rules for ministers.
At this stage, they have been partially implemented but are expected to be fully implemented within the framework of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and its 2025–2027 action plan.
As far as the executive is concerned, [GRECO] welcomes the creation of a system of confidential counselling, mechanisms for enforcing several laws (including sanctions), and integrity training.
Preventive measures have also been adopted with respect to conflicts of interest that may arise before or after the assumption of duties.
All of GRECO’s recommendations concerning law enforcement have been implemented.
An action plan was adopted to supplement the implementation of the police’s anti-corruption policy, and the border guard is currently updating its anti-corruption programme.
Also worth noting are the introduction of ethical leadership training for senior police management, the creation of several confidential counselling channels, and the legislative strengthening of protection for whistleblowers.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/koz (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)