Corrupution could compromise Serbia’s CoE status

Serbia’s position in the Council of Europe (CoE) could be compromised by failure to carry out recommendations. Chairman of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption Drago Kos said in June that Serbia had received serious recommendations from the Commission that needed to be implemented by the end of the year. Corrupution could compromise Serbia’s CoE status If Serbia does not act accordingly, action will be taken, which would include a three-month report on anti-corruption activities and possible expulsion from the ranks of the CoE. Until now, only Georgia has been proclaimed uncooperative, Kos said. The recommendations, made public in October of last year, are general, but would be easily achievable with one adopted law envisaging the creation of an anti-corruption agency, Kos said. He added that there were problems in dealing with several conceptual questions on what the agency’s focus should be. “I was convinced that we had overcome these problems and now I am convinced they are being opened up again. The practical and theoretical aspects of all possible solutions were looked at, and the solutions we thought were best were included in the draft,” he said. KOs said that he did not wish to predict whether the adoption of the law was being postponed in the interests of several individuals or a political group, but he said that he "did not have any other explanation. " “The procedures came to a halt, and that could have serious consequences for Serbia. The Commission is the working body of the CoE, but our work is also followed closely by the European Commission and the European Union. Moreover, on the basis of our own opinions, Brussels forms an opinion on potential EU candidate states,” Kos said. He reiterated that the struggle with corruption was one of the political criteria for EU membership, and that failure to implement Commission recommendations meant that a country was failing to fight corruption. Asked whether he had had any contact with Belgrade regarding the recommendations and their completion, Kos said that he had not.

Corrupution could compromise Serbia’s CoE status

If Serbia does not act accordingly, action will be taken, which would include a three-month report on anti-corruption activities and possible expulsion from the ranks of the CoE.

Until now, only Georgia has been proclaimed uncooperative, Kos said.

The recommendations, made public in October of last year, are general, but would be easily achievable with one adopted law envisaging the creation of an anti-corruption agency, Kos said.

He added that there were problems in dealing with several conceptual questions on what the agency’s focus should be.

“I was convinced that we had overcome these problems and now I am convinced they are being opened up again. The practical and theoretical aspects of all possible solutions were looked at, and the solutions we thought were best were included in the draft,” he said.

KOs said that he did not wish to predict whether the adoption of the law was being postponed in the interests of several individuals or a political group, but he said that he "did not have any other explanation. "

“The procedures came to a halt, and that could have serious consequences for Serbia. The Commission is the working body of the CoE, but our work is also followed closely by the European Commission and the European Union. Moreover, on the basis of our own opinions, Brussels forms an opinion on potential EU candidate states,” Kos said.

He reiterated that the struggle with corruption was one of the political criteria for EU membership, and that failure to implement Commission recommendations meant that a country was failing to fight corruption.

Asked whether he had had any contact with Belgrade regarding the recommendations and their completion, Kos said that he had not.