The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), in a report published today, calls for determined measures to prevent corruption in Czechia in respect of persons with top executive functions, including the Prime Minister, ministers, deputy ministers, ministers’ advisers, as well as members of the police.
In its evaluation report, GRECO notes that Czechia has a robust legal framework to combat corruption in respect of top executive functions, but that too little focus is placed on guidance and training, as well as on supervision and enforcement of anti-corruption rules. Integrity risks specifically affecting persons with top executive functions need to be better identified and addressed through risk analyses and remedial measures, integrity checks and clear rules on recruitment and appointment for ministers’ advisers.
GRECO points out that most persons with top executive functions are not subject to ethical rules, awareness-raising nor confidential counselling on integrity, and lobbying remains unregulated. It underlines the need for strengthening the rules on the acceptance of gifts and invitations, outside activities and post-employment restrictions.
The reports stresses that ministers’ advisers should be subject to disclosure requirements regarding assets, interests and activities and that declarations by persons with top executive functions should be made available to the public in an easy and timely manner. These declarations should be verified by an independent review mechanism, adequately equipped to perform substantive controls effectively and impose administrative sanctions.
As regards the police, GRECO recommends that the Czech authorities take measures to increase the representation of women at all levels, particularly in managerial positions, and that integrity checks be carried out at regular intervals throughout the career of police officers.
It also calls for donations and sponsorships to the police to be better regulated to increase transparency and prevent conflicts of interest, and for ethical norms to be complemented by practical guidance and a confidential counselling mechanism. GRECO considers that adequate regulation should be adopted on post-employment restrictions and dedicated awareness-raising activities developed in the new act on the protection of whistleblowers. Finally, complaints against police staff and measures taken deal to with them should be published.
GRECO will assess the implementation of the 20 recommendations addressed to Czechia in 2025 through its compliance procedure.
*unofficial translation, as provided by the authorities
