The Council of Europe anti-corruption body GRECO has urged the Czech Republic to accelerate the pace of ongoing reforms aimed at preventing and combatting corruption among parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors.

In a follow up report issued today evaluating the implementation of its recommendations to the country in its 2016 Fourth Evaluation Round Report, GRECO concludes that the Czech Republic’s low level of compliance is “globally unsatisfactory”.

GRECO concludes that the Czech Republic has implemented satisfactorily or dealt with in a satisfactory manner one of the fourteen recommendations contained in the Fourth Round Evaluation Report. Seven recommendations have been partly implemented and the remaining six recommendations have not been implemented.

The following six recommendations have not been implemented:

1. GRECO recommended (i) that a code of conduct be adopted for members of parliament, made easily accessible to the public, and accompanied by explanatory notes and/or practical guidance, including on conflicts of interest and related matters (e.g. gifts and other advantages, incompatibilities, additional activities and financial interests, post-employment situations, contacts with third parties such as lobbyists, declaration requirements, etc.); (ii) that the code of conduct be complemented by practical measures for their implementation, such as dedicated training, confidential counselling and awareness-raising.
2. GRECO recommended that enforceable rules on gifts and other advantages –including advantages in kind –be developed for members of parliament and made easily accessible to the public; they should, in particular, determine what kinds of gifts and other advantages may be acceptable and define what conduct is expected of members of parliament who are given or offered such advantages.
3. GRECO recommended(i) that a code of professional conduct for all judges –accompanied by explanatory comments and/or practical examples, including guidance on conflicts of interest and related issues (e.g. on gifts, secondary activities, third party contacts/confidentiality, etc.) –be developed, communicated effectively to all judges and made easily accessible to the public; (ii) that it be complemented by practical measures for its implementation, including confidential counselling and dedicated training for both professional and lay judges.
4. GRECO recommended introducing the possibility for judges to challenge disciplinary decisions including for dismissal before a court.
5. GRECO recommended reforming the procedures for the appointment and recall of the Supreme Public Prosecutor and other chief public prosecutors, in particular by ensuring (i) that any decisions in those procedures are reasoned, based on clear and objective criteria and can be appealed to a court; (ii) that appointment decisions are based on mandatory, transparent selection procedures and; (iii) that recall is possible only in the context of disciplinary proceedings.
6. GRECO recommended introducing the possibility for public prosecutors to challenge disciplinary decisions including dismissal before a court.

GRECO has requested the Czech authorities to report on progress in implementing recommendations the pending recommendations by 31 December 2020.