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Recommendation 2019 (2013) Final version
Corruption as a threat to the rule of law
1. The Parliamentary Assembly, referring
to its Resolution 1943
(2013) on corruption as a threat to the rule of law,
stresses the paramount importance of strengthening the fight against
corruption, which is a major threat to the rule of law.
2. For years, the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary
Assembly have been demonstrating a strong political determination
to fight corruption. Therefore, the Assembly recommends that the
Committee of Ministers invite member and observer States of the
Council of Europe to examine their existing legislation on the fight
against corruption and its implementation, with a view to assessing
its conformity with the guiding principles set out in Resolution 1943.
3. In order to respond effectively to today’s and tomorrow’s
challenges, it also invites the Committee of Ministers to reassess
and consolidate the Council of Europe strategy in the fight against
corruption, which represents a core area and key strength of the
Organisation, by:
3.1. taking stock
of current achievements and pitfalls, clearly identifying priorities
for action and measuring their implementation;
3.2. empowering relevant Council of Europe bodies such as the
Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) to contribute to the
effective implementation of the new strategy, by revising its mandate
if need be;
3.3. mainstreaming anti-corruption in various Council of Europe
activities and programmes, such as education for democratic citizenship,
social cohesion, media and sport.
4. The Assembly asks the Committee of Ministers to consolidate
further co-operation between the European Union and the Council
of Europe in the fight against corruption, in particular by inviting
the European Union to accede to the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption
(ETS No. 173) and speeding up the negotiations on the participation
of the European Union in GRECO, in order to contribute to more co-ordinated anti-corruption
policies in Europe. Moreover, recalling its Opinion 284 (2013) on budgets and
priorities of the Council of Europe for the biennium 2014-2015,
the Assembly asks the Committee of Ministers to ensure that joint
programmes are further developed, are based on a suitable and stable
system of financing and include a parliamentary dimension.
5. It further recommends that the Committee of Ministers draw
up a set of guidelines for codes of conduct and ethics for public
officials, in conformity with the guiding principles set out in Recommendation 1908 (2010) on
lobbying in a democratic society (European code of good conduct
on lobbying).
6. It invites the Committee of Ministers to instruct the Secretary
General of the Council of Europe to ensure that the training programmes
implemented by Council of Europe bodies include curricula specifically
dedicated to the fight against corruption.
7. Having regard to the growing need for a Europe-wide regulatory
framework in respect of lobbying, the high level of expertise of
the Council of Europe’s specialised bodies, the extensive studies
already carried out and the solid data collected by them on lobbying,
the Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to launch a feasibility
study on lobbying in the light of which further standard-setting
work could be considered. This would be an excellent opportunity
for the Council of Europe to take a leading role and gain in visibility
as the guardian of human rights and democratic values.
8. Furthermore, the Assembly urges the Committee of Ministers
to address a recommendation to the member States calling on them
to implement without delay the recommendations of GRECO and the Committee
of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and
the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL).