19.09.2024.
During her visit to Serbia, Livia Stoica Becht , Executive Secretary of GRECO and Head of the Council of Europe's Department for Economic Crime and Corruption, met with the Agency for Prevention of Corruption Deputy Director, Verka Atanasković, and her associates. The Agency is a key partner in implementing GRECO recommendations.
On this occasion, gratitude was expressed to the Council of Europe for its ongoing and unwavering support for the Agency, which is reflected not only in financial assistance but also in engagement in improving the integrity of institutions in the Republic of Serbia and increasing transparency in the areas of strengthening the rule of law and combating corruption. The representatives of the Agency informed the executive secretary about the steps taken to fulfill the recommendations of GRECO from the Compliance Report of the Republic of Serbia within the Fifth Round of Evaluation, which is related to the prevention of corruption and the strengthening of integrity of the highest executive functions and law enforcement authorities.
In order to further align with GRECO recommendations, the Project "Suppression of Economic Crime in the Republic of Serbia" was discussed.. The Agency's activities under this project include improving the regulatory framework for lobbying to meet Council of Europe standards, improving the procedure for assessing the risk of corruption in regulations, handling complaints, and developing a mechanism to prevent illegal and irregular financing of political activities.
The Agency informed the executive secretary about its plans to work with the Ministry of Education and other pertinent educational institutions to implement programs aimed at educating young people on corruption prevention, as the Council of Europe places a high priority on youth development.
Activities have been announced for the Sixth Round of evaluation, which will begin in 2025 and focus on "Preventing corruption and promoting integrity at the local level."
