Strasbourg, 30.05.2013 – In a report published today, the Council of Europe Anti-Corruption Group (GRECO) acknowledges that Slovenia has improved the integrity rules for Members of Parliament, judges and prosecutors. However it also finds that much remains to be done to educate them about integrity and conflicts of interest, and to ensure a better implementation of the corruption prevention legal framework.

GRECO concludes that in Slovenia there are clear rules in place for issues such as the acceptance of gifts and incompatibilities of posts and functions with regard to parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors. It also notes that a new online asset declaration system seems to offer guarantees for improved compliance in the future. On the other hand, GRECO points out the need to establish a set of rules of conduct, accompanied by a mechanism of supervision and sanction for misconduct.

GRECO also calls for a reinforcement of the role of the governing bodies of the judiciary and the prosecution service in developing integrity and managing corruption risks. Finally, the Group expresses concern that the responsibilities over the prosecution service have been transferred from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of the Interior, and that this may lead to a reduction of the independence of prosecutors.

The implementation of the 19 recommendations addressed to Slovenia will be assessed by GRECO in the second half of 2014.

Press release