CoE experts look at financing of parties
Experts from the Council of Europe's corruption watchdog GRECO have begun to scrutinize the state of political party financing in Serbia.
Thursday, 29.04.2010.
09:36
Experts from the Council of Europe's corruption watchdog GRECO have begun to scrutinize the state of political party financing in Serbia. Representatives of the Anti-Corruption Agency told Beta news agency that the GRECO experts arrived for a four-day visit to Serbia on April 26 and that during the first two days they looked at the treatment of corruption in criminal legislation. CoE experts look at financing of parties During the rest of their stay in Serbia, the experts will meet with representatives of state institutions, political parties, the media and NGOs. Their final report and recommendation on what needs to change in terms of party financing will be unveiled at the Council of Europe plenary session in Strasbourg in September. This is the second evaluation of the corruption situation in Serbia. The previous one was carried out in September 2005; a report containing recommendations for Serbia was approved in June 2006, and the final report on the fulfillment of all GRECO recommendations within an additional deadline given to Serbia was sent in late 2009. Anti-Corruption Agency officials told BETA that 14 of the 23 parties represented in Parliament have submitted final financial reports for 2009, but stressed that the majority of them are incomplete. According to the agency, the biggest problem is lack of auditing of donations surpassing RSD6,000. The law on financing parties does not set a deadline for parties to submit their annual reports, but the parliamentary committee tasked with enforcing financing laws prior to the forming of the Anti-Corruption Agency a few years ago set April 15 as an informal deadline. No action has yet been taken in response to breaches of that deadline since it is not a legal requirement.
CoE experts look at financing of parties
During the rest of their stay in Serbia, the experts will meet with representatives of state institutions, political parties, the media and NGOs. Their final report and recommendation on what needs to change in terms of party financing will be unveiled at the Council of Europe plenary session in Strasbourg in September.This is the second evaluation of the corruption situation in Serbia. The previous one was carried out in September 2005; a report containing recommendations for Serbia was approved in June 2006, and the final report on the fulfillment of all GRECO recommendations within an additional deadline given to Serbia was sent in late 2009.
Anti-Corruption Agency officials told BETA that 14 of the 23 parties represented in Parliament have submitted final financial reports for 2009, but stressed that the majority of them are incomplete.
According to the agency, the biggest problem is lack of auditing of donations surpassing RSD6,000.
The law on financing parties does not set a deadline for parties to submit their annual reports, but the parliamentary committee tasked with enforcing financing laws prior to the forming of the Anti-Corruption Agency a few years ago set April 15 as an informal deadline. No action has yet been taken in response to breaches of that deadline since it is not a legal requirement.
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