GRECO Report: Government should increase transparency in top executive functions, advisors and external associates

Expressing particular concern at the lack of transparency in respect of government activities, GRECO calls for more regulation and transparency relating to persons carrying out top executive functions, including advisors and external associates hired at the discretion of the central government.

The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption group urges the Government to allow public access to information concerning names and functions of those attending its sessions and to ensure transparency concerning government officials’ contacts with lobbyists and third parties seeking to influence public decision-making. It also suggests complementing the regime for reporting situations of conflicts of interests with practical guidance and training.

As far as law enforcement is concerned, GRECO sees a strong need to de-politicise the police in North Macedonia. In particular, it calls for a clear demarcation between the political powers through the Ministry of the Interior and the police in order to provide the latter with a sufficient degree of operational independence.

Measures are also required within the police to ensure that individual officers comply with rules on integrity, impartiality and political neutrality. It is also needed to ensure an objective, effective and competitive recruitment procedure into the police service, including for managerial positions, based on objective criteria and professionalism. Integrity checks should be applied before recruitment as well as at regular intervals. The report also calls for the adoption of a new code of conduct for police officers and for such an instrument to be accompanied by awareness raising, training and counselling.

GRECO finds the access to public information to be generally weak in North Macedonia, despite legislation and constitutional principles in place, as well as that the Law on the Protection of Whistle-blowers, as amended in 2018, needs to be accompanied by dedicated measures to ensure its implementation in practice.

Noting that strategies and legislation aimed at preventing and combating corruption have been in place for many years, GRECO finds that their implementation has been weak. The State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, which is supposed to be the leading institution to prevent corruption and conflicts of interest, has since its establishment in 2002, repeatedly been criticized for lack of independence and efficiency. In 2018, five of its seven members resigned, following accusations of misappropriation of funds. Although the new Commission was formed this year; making this body effective and trusted by the public remains an important challenge for the future.