Group of States Against Corruption

The Council of Europe's anti-corruption body GRECO had criticized Greece's refusal to allow peers to be involved in the process of appointing senior judges and prosecutors.

BELGRADE - The Serbian government said on Friday Serbia's success in fulfilment of recommendations issued by the Council of Europe's anti-corruption watchdog GRECO was a result of engagement on strengthening rule of law and ensuring judicial independence following the adoption of constitutional amendments, a set of judicial and other laws and bylaws and procedures.

In its fifth Evaluation Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina published on Thursday, the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption, GRECO, urged authorities in Bosnia to overcome political blockages that are preventing reforms from taking place. 

A deputy enters the plenary hall of parliament in Sofia, 19 October 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

Inefficient justice, loopholes in the rules for people at the top of power and dependent media are distinctive features of the situation with the fight against corruption at the top of power in Bulgaria. Such conclusions were reached by the Group of States fighting corruption "GRECO" of the Council of Europe.

The Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption, GRECO, said in its latest report on Tuesday that further measures are needed to prevent corruption among top public servants in Serbia, including the president, ministers, their assistants, state secretaries, chiefs of cabinet and political advisers, as well as police officials.

Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers Meeting, November 30, 2021. Photo: Council of Europe

"GRECO concluded that the very low level of compliance with the recommendations was 'globally unsatisfactory'," the report said.

Moldova made little progress on reforms to the judiciary, said the latest report of Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption, GRECO, launched on Wednesday. 

"GRECO evaluated the implementation of the recommendations in a first compliance Report in 2018 and a second compliance report in 2020″, a press release said. 

The Social Democrats consider that the revision of the Constitution should take place before the presidential election, therefore the date of the referendum on amending the fundamental law will be set immediately after the beginning of the new parliamentary session.

The Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) mentions the classified protocols concluded between the General Prosecutor's Office and the Romanian Intelligence Service in the compliance report on Romania released on Tuesday, a CoE spokesperson told AGERPRES on Tuesday, in response to a statement by Chairman of the Romanian Senate Calin Popescu-Tariceanu.