GRECO Approves Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Progress
KYIV, Ukraine, March 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
The Council of Europe's anti-corruption monitoring body GRECO acknowledged the implementation of a number of anti-corruption recommendations by the eastern European country. The feedback was provided at the 59th GRECO plenary meeting, where Ukraine presented its anti-corruption progress report. Ukraine reported on the adoption of the new Criminal Procedure Code and a law on ethical conduct. The meeting took place in Strasburg, France, on March 18-22, 2013.
During the session, the Group of States against Corruption ruled that Ukraine had fulfilled recommendations on the development and implementation of anti-corruption strategy and the action plan. Ukraine implemented recommendations to adopt public servants' code of conduct and provide training on professional ethics and prevention and combating corruption for public servants, reported Minister of Justice Oleksandr Lavrynovych. The group also welcomed public participation in the evaluation of the state anti-corruption efforts.
At the GRECO meeting, the Ukrainian government presented anti-corruption measures scheduled for the future - adoption of draft laws regulating confiscation procedure, criminal procedure against legal entities, and better financial control. The drafts were produced following earlier recommendations by GRECO.
Ukraine is expected to present its next anti-corruption progress report to GRECO on December 31, 2013. Recent anti-corruption efforts of the Ukrainian authorities targeted legislative changes and increased efficiency of state apparatus. Namely, in February 2013, the Ukrainian customs service reported 33 percent corruption decrease over the last two years due to implementation of the internal risks monitoring system.
Additionally, in 2014, Ukraine plans to make any public services in Ukraine available online, informed the State Agency for Science, Innovation and Information. Online public services will reduce time spent by clients to obtain a service and help prevent corruption.
Another international anti-corruption initiative - NGO Global Integrity - rated Ukrainian anti-corruption law 100 on the 0-100 scorecard, as reported in November 2012. The international organization highlighted the improvements in Ukrainian legislation in its annual report summarizing 2011 anti-corruption efforts.
Ukraine joined GRECO in 2006, after ratifying the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption. Founded in 1999, the multinational anti-corruption group currently features 47 European states, as well as six observers, including the U.S., Japan, and Canada. In 2007, GRECO produced the first report on Ukraine featuring 25 recommendations.
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