Voortuitgang in anti-corruptiemaatregelen in Zuid-Oost-Europa (en)
Strasbourg 06.07.2006 - For more then two years, countries of South-eastern Europe, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia (including Kosovo), and “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” engaged in a constructive process of developing and finalising anti-corruption strategies. As of today, such strategies have been adopted and endorsed by the respective governments of these countries. Specific anti-corruption measures have been adopted through Anti-corruption Action Plans, which are aimed at translating these strategies into operational–level reforms. Anti-corruption services already exist in most of the countries, and are ready to take forward the challenging task of ensuring effective management and monitoring of the implementation of these strategies and action plans. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia – countries that recently adopted anti-corruption strategies – foresee the creation of specific anti-corruption services for the near future.
The progress made, and the challenges ahead will be discussed at the PACO Impact Final Conference, which is to be held in Strasbourg at the seat of the Council of Europe from 10 to 11 July 2006. Government stakeholders, in charge of anti-corruption reforms in South-eastern Europe, the donor Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), international partner organisations and project management evaluators will be participating in this meeting.
Political commitment – measured in terms of the priority given by governments and parliaments not only when adopting general anti-corruption policies, but also when implementing specific measures, such as the allocation of sufficient resources to anti-corruption efforts, and the independence granted to professionals and institutions investigating corruption – is critical for success. The level of commitment by the authorities in South-eastern Europe witnessed over the past two years has led to considerable progress, but needs to be continuously reconfirmed.
The purpose of PACO Impact - a technical assistance project - has been to ensure that comprehensive anti-corruption strategies do not remain on paper, but that they are implemented having a real impact on the corruption situation in a given country or area. Interventions were tailor-made to countries’ needs and in support of governments’ policy measures taken.
While in general terms the process of adoption of anti-corruption strategies has proved not too controversial, the implementation of the anti-corruption action plans is more complex, as it involves a range of different stakeholders. Although this process has been delayed in some of the countries, the action plans are now ready to be managed by their owners. To do so in a persistent, determined manner will be a tangible sign of their political will to take the fight against corruption one step forward.
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