PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION: IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRITY PLANS

On 5 and 6 June 2013 a special workshop was held in Podgorica, Montenegro on the subject of "Prevention of Corruption: Implementation of Integrity Plan" organized by TAIEX in co-operation with the Montenegrin Ministry of Justice, Directorate of Anti-Corruption Initiative and RACVIAC- Centre for Security Co-operation.

The meeting was well attended and included the following speakers:

• Ms Vesna Ratkovic, Director of the Directorate for Anti-Corruption Initiative (Montenegro)
• Mr. Alberto Cammarata, Head of the Political Section of the EU Delegation in Montenegro
• Ambassador Braminir Mandic, RACVIAC Director
• Mr. Aurimas Kudukis, Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Lithuania
• Mr. Bojan Ernjakovic, Ministry of Justice of Croatia
• Mr. Jure Skrbec, Anti-Corruption Officer, Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, of the Republic of Slovenia
• Ms. Dragana Krunic, Head of Division for Integrity Plans, Sector for Prevention, Anti-Corruption Agency, of the Republic of Serbia
• Mr. Harun Mert, Deputy General Director, Ministry of Justice, General Directorate of International Law and Foreign Relations, of the Republic of Turkey
• Mr. Vismantas Cepulis, Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Lithuania
• Mr. Blerim Caka, Specialist from the Republic of Albania
• Mr. Dragan Slipac, Deputy Director, Agency for the Prevention and Fight Against Corruption, from Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Mr. Gjorgi Slamkov, Director, State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, from the FYR of Macedonia
• Mr. Christian Daniel de Fouloy, Chairman, Association of Accredited Public Policy Advocates, (AALEP) in Brussels
• Mr. Kostadin Pusara, President of the Association of Lobbyists in Montenegro.

Admittedly all countries are different stages of development when it comes to Prevention and Fight Against Corruption, but there is no question that they are all dedicated to do everything they can to curb down corruption. When it comes to lobbying only Slovenia and Macedonia have enacted legal frameworks but they are subject to reconsideration and amendments. Rather than drafting complex lobbying laws that will be subject to much debate and criticism, it may be best to have them consider mandatory statutory registers for all that are trying to influence government decisions. It may also be valuable to draft stringent standards for relations between public officials and lobbyists e.g. standards that govern access, expected standards in relation of acceptance of hospitality, gifts and benefits; standards governing participation in events; rules prohibiting paid advocacy etc. Politicians often fail to see the risks of close relationships with lobbyists and are not always able to maintain the safeguards that are essential to ensuring integrity. Politicians appear far too willing to accept corporate and media hospitality, refusing to acknowledge that even if they are not engaged in anything untoward, such behaviour fails to meet the 'appearance standard' and thus erodes public trust.