In its annual report for 2024 the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) expresses serious concern about persistent threats to judicial independence in some member states. While acknowledging positive reforms in some countries, it urges states to strengthen the structures separating the three branches of power.
GRECO also calls for legislative reforms to close loopholes in the transparency of political funding by setting up stronger enforcement mechanisms and adopting deterrent sanctions for violations of political financing rules. The report notes that developments in recent years have shown the need to improve mechanisms to ensure the transparency of political financing and to update existing anti-corruption standards on party and electoral campaign financing.
GRECO's president, David Meyer, said: "The global fight against corruption stands at a critical juncture. While significant progress has been made in strengthening anti-corruption frameworks, persistent and evolving challenges remain, particularly in enforcement, transparency and ongoing threats to judicial independence. Addressing these challenges requires renewed urgency and sustained political will at the national level."
"In 2024, geopolitical shifts, economic instability and rapid technological advancements have reshaped corruption risks and governance dynamics. Elections in several member states have raised integrity concerns, including allegations of undue influence, irregular financing and foreign interference, emphasising the need to safeguard democratic processes through effective anti-corruption frameworks," he added.
The annual report was published together with a report providing a comprehensive analysis of progress made and shortcomings identified so far in GRECO's 5th evaluation round, which focuses on promoting integrity and preventing corruption within top executive functions of central governments and law enforcement agencies. Generally, the area where the most progress has been achieved so far is access to information and transparency.
Progress has been particularly slow regarding top executive functions in areas such as integrity checks, post-employment restrictions, declaration review mechanisms, and contacts with lobbyists and third parties. The report underscores the need for clearer rules on perceived, potential and real conflicts of interests, asset declarations and lobbying, as well as more effective implementation of integrity frameworks and stronger oversight. The most challenging areas in law enforcement agencies include declarations of assets, income, liabilities and interests, rotation and mobility policy, recruitment requirements and appointment procedures, as well as integrity checks.
