Already cheeky: In the middle of the big bribery scandal in the EU Parliament, the European Union is calling on Austria to improve its strategies against corruption on the part of the government and criminal prosecution.
Five EU politicians are already in prison as a result of Eva Kaili’s corruption thriller. However, during the major bribery scandal in the EU Parliament, the EU wants to take tougher action in Austria of all places. Five governments have fallen under corruption allegations in the past six years, the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) said in a report on Wednesday. Furthermore, “ongoing corruption investigations involving the former Austrian Chancellor have cast doubt on press freedom in the country, as it has uncovered questionable links between politicians, polling companies and the media,” GRECO noted.
“Managing conflicts of interest is a special challenge”
There has been a National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NAKS) since 2018. Numerous important reforms such as the transparency law, the criminal law reform and the lobbying law are still waiting to be developed. “Avoiding and managing conflicts of interest is a particular challenge in Austria that deserves special attention.”
There are certain requirements for ministers and state secretaries in terms of sideline activities, financial interests and disclosure requirements. “However, there is still a lot of room for improvement in this area, also with regard to the currently critical question of the revolving door effect. The oversight, advisory and follow-up system needs to be significantly strengthened,” the report continues. In addition, it is imperative to make the activities of general secretaries and cabinet staff more transparent.
Disclosure of contacts with lobbyists must be improved
“The adoption of a separate law on access to information is still an open question,” criticizes the Council of Europe panel. The legislative footprint and the disclosure of contacts with lobbyists must be improved. It is also mentioned that the Office of the Public Prosecutor for Economic Affairs and Corruption (WKStA) is subject to the reporting obligation in cases of high public interest.
GRECO also calls for action on potential conflicts of interest of police officers, such as police sponsorship. As well as in the area of whistleblower protection. This is “a priority matter that requires immediate action”. At the beginning of February, the National Council passed a new legal regulation to provide better protection for whistleblowers.
Source: Express