Press Release

 

Report of European Commission on progress of Serbia as stimulation for implementation of anticorruption laws

 

Organization Transparency – Serbia considers that latest report of European Commission on progress of Serbia clearly states that disrespect of role of anticorruption institutions by executive power and non conducting of state anticorruption plans in our country presents not only problem for successful fight against corruption but also for faster progress towards EU. Having in mind that because of diplomatic tone and limited space, observations in the reports of EU are sometimes very mild and limited to legal and institutional framework, and that by our belief do not respect enough extent of corruption in Serbia .

 

As only successes stated in this field are adopting of Law on Anticorruption Agency (which will be implemented in more than a year), ratification of conventions (nothing was done so far on implementation), submitting of GRECO report and establishing of special units which deal with investigation of corruption as part of prosecutor's office and police.

 

Report states that „results of fight against corruption were limited in practice“, and explicitly stated reasons are: incompleteness of data from the reports on financing of political parties, great number of officials which in spite of legal obligation do not submit reports on property, refusing of Government to secure implementation of decisions of Commissioner for Information, weaknesses of Action Plan for implementation of Anticorruption Strategy and lack of resources for its implementation, inappropriate conditions for work of State Audit Institution, Commission for Protection of Rights, Public Procurement Office, Ombudsman, lack of capacities of investigative organs.

 

Especially worrying is the fact that, not only in last year, but much earlier, our organization pointed out to all stated problems and possible solutions – as well as representatives of some independent institutions. If those indications from Belgrade were more respected in the past, probably evaluation of Brussels would have been different.

 

Transparency – Serbia

 

Belgrade , November 6 th 2008