On the eve of the publication of GRECO General Activity Report (2017) on 3 May, GRECO's President Mr Marin Mrčela held an exchange of views with the Committee of Ministers. He stressed that “Many allegations of corruption or actions against probity in public and private organisations have eroded people’s trust in them. Judges have been dismissed or imprisoned and the independent and impartial work of many prosecutors has been undermined; election campaigns have been polluted by corruption allegations; and journalists covering corruption have been silenced, imprisoned or killed.”

Mr Mrčela added that “corruption is a very real, serious threat to our institutions and to the human fabric. It breaks down our democratic set-up, undermines the rule of law, threatens the enjoyment of human rights, and damages economic growth and social development. The effective and full implementation of GRECO’s recommendations is key to addressing these threats.”