The Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published a report on Germany assessing progress made in implementing the recommendations issued to the country in the Fifth Round Evaluation Report (2020) on preventing corruption and promoting integrity in central governments (top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies.
GRECO concludes that Germany has implemented satisfactorily four of the 14 recommendations set out in the Fifth Round Evaluation Report. Six recommendations have been partly implemented and four have has not been implemented.
With regard to top executive functions, GRECO notes some progress overall, with the introduction of an executive footprint, the widening of the scope of the Lobbying Register Act and the strengthening of rules on post-employment restrictions for state secretaries and directors general. However, tangible and robust actions are required to monitor the respect of the integrity standards applicable to persons with top executive functions, to ensure that a systematic briefing on integrity issues be given to ministers and parliamentary state secretaries, to improve public access to information at federal level, to disclose sufficient information about meetings that persons with top executive functions have with lobbyists and third parties to the public, and to introduce an unequivocal obligation to disclose various situations of conflicts as they occur as well as to declare financial interests publicly on a regular basis.
Regarding law enforcement agencies, GRECO welcomes the adoption of a code of conduct tailored to the specific needs of the Federal Police as well as the entry into force of the Whistleblower Protection Act, which provides protection against retaliation to all staff members of the Federal Police and the Federal Criminal Police Office. The authorities are expected to take additional measures to strengthen the screening processes of new recruits in the Federal Police and to provide for stricter and proactive internal oversight within the Federal Police.
GRECO concludes that Germany is not in sufficient compliance with the recommendations contained in the Fifth Round Evaluation Report and asks the Head of delegation to provide a report on the progress in implementing the outstanding recommendations by 31 March 2026.
Link to the report: ENG - FRA - GER*
* unofficial translation, as provided by the German authorities
