Progress Report Full of Warnings, Corruption Serious Concern

The report further finds that much remains to be done in implementing anti-corruption legislation, including the Law on the Prevention of Corruption Agency, the Law on Property Proliferation, and legislation on financing political parties and the financing campaign.

The legal framework for criminal seizures is said to have advanced, including the Law for Enhancing Capacity.

The report, however, states that the Law remains to a large extent uncompliable, and the level of ascetic seizure is small.

Contract to the part of the fight against corruption is also cited as the State Bureau for Verification and Confiscating Unjustified Wealth continues to be being handled by the Constitutional Court.

The “Law to the State Bureau for Verification and Confiscating of Unjustified Riches, which aims to establish a system of undemned seizures, is pending at the Constitutional Court”, the report said.

In addition, continued efforts are said to be needed to have more proactive investigations, final judicial decisions and final seizures of assets.

The report stresses that supplementary sentences prohibiting the exercise of public functions or other professions, especially those convicted of acts related to corruption, are not implemented sufficiently.

The report says that even despite the improvement of AKK performance, preventive anti-corruption provisions defined by law are not yet fully implemented, in particular the adoption of integrity plans in public institutions, <x0 correction” of legislation, risk assessments and practical use of signaling procedures in the private and public sector.

“in general, corruption remains a serious concern issue”, is highlighted in the European Union report.

There is also said to be a need for a powerful justice response to high-level corruption cases. The report finds it is the negative signal that Kosovo has sent, when it caused the chief of Special Investigation Unit in the Kosovo Police.

“In this direction, the dismissal of the Kosovo Police Special Investigation Unit is a cause for concern, sending a negative signal for Kosovo's commitment to fighting corruption”, the report stresses.

The European Commission's recommendations from last year reportedly have been fulfilled in part and therefore remain valid.

Recommendations:

To further strengthen the capacities of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption in terms of personnel and expertise, to ensure that it can effectively carry out its mandate; relevant institutions must approve and implement the integrity plans and internal procedures of the signal (including the private sector);

→ further strengthen the efficiency of the penal seizure regime; promote the systematic use of prolonged and regular seizures by prosecution and police; increasing the level of specialisation/expertitis in sequistation and seizure of property; create a fund of confiscation;

→ further strengthen law enforcement and prosecution, as well as multidisciplinary co-operation and an objective-based approach to secure proactive investigations and effectively combat cases of high-level corruption; to conduct systematic financial investigations during criminal investigations; guarantee the security of judges and prosecutors