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The damage caused by corrupt practices in Southeast Europe is well known. Corruption has eroded the rule of law and the stability of democratic institutions, breaching fundamental rights and freedoms and undermining the trust and confidence of citizens in the fairness and impartiality of public administration. It has undermined the business climate, discouraged domestic and foreign investment, wasted economic resources and hampered economic growth, thus threatening the very objectives of peace, democracy and prosperity in Southeast Europe.
In response, the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe made the fight against corruption a top priority upon its founding in Cologne (Germany) in June 1999.This was formally endorsed in Sarajevo a month later. On 16th February 2000, again in Sarajevo, Stability Pact countries, including the EU member states, the countries of the SEE region and the international donor community, adopted an Anti-Corruption Initiative – SPAI.
Why have countries of South Eastern Europe, along with the international community, mobilised to fight bribery and corruption in the region? The answer is simple: corruption respects no borders, knows no economic distinctions and tends of affect all government bodies. No country of South Eastern Europe can afford the social, political and economic costs that bribery and corruption entail. As such, the fight against bribery and corruption has moved to the top of the regional political agenda. Not so long ago, bribing public officials to obtain any deal was at least a tolerated practice in the wide parts of the region. Today, SEE countries, associated with the international community, will play by stricter rules. The legal and institutional frameworks are being reformed according to European and other international standards. This is not only needed in order to outlaw the practice of bribing public officials, but also to promote a whole arsenal of legal instruments and to improve ethical standards in the public sector, to establish the rule of law, to curtail money laundering and to clean up public procurement practices. The private sector and the civil society are playing a crucial role in turning these new rules into reality.
SPAI provides incentives for policy reform and sets out a number of commitments for policy reforms that SEE countries need to implement in order to eradicate corruption. There are five pillars:
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Adhesion to and implementation of European and international anti-corruption instruments;
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Promotion of good governance and reliable public administrations;
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Strengthening of legislation and promotion of the rule of law;
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Promotion of transparency and integrity in business operations and fight against bribery of public officials;
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Promotion of an active civil society, including the media
Since the initiation of SPAI in February 2000, the environment for cooperation against corruption in South-eastern Europe has changed considerably:
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Countries have made significant progress in the adoption of relevant international instruments.
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All countries of South-Eastern Europe are now members of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) under which their compliance with European anti-corruption instruments is monitored.(*) Some also participate in the OECD monitoring mechanism.
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Comprehensive anti-corruption plans have been adopted and are under implementation.
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In some countries, institutional mechanisms to manage the implementation of these plans as well as specialised institutions to investigate and prosecute corruption have been created.
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The capacity of civil society organisations to support anti-corruption measures have been strengthened, as reflected in the formation of anti-corruption coalitions or the creation of national chapters of the NGO Transparency International.
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The readiness of donors and international organisations to support specific anti-corruption projects has increased and a – yet limited – number of projects have been implemented.
In November 2002, countries of South Eastern Europe signed up to the London Statement in which they committed themselves, among other things, to develop and implement national anti-corruption plans and anti-corruption laws, to build public support against corruption, and to engage in judicial networking and other forms of regional cooperation.
Anti-corruption measures are also reviewed within the EU’s Stabilisation and Association Process. The reports published by the European Commission in March 2003, identified the preparation and implementation of national anti-corruption plans and the creation of specialised anti-corruption institutions as priority areas.
SPAI will continue to promote the prevention and control of corruption as a means to strengthen democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and social and economic progress, and thus to contribute to further European integration.
At its September 2003 meeting in Sarajevo, the SPAI Steering Group approved to transfer the Secretariat of the SPAI to the region in order to promote local ownership of the Initiative and further enhance regional capacities to lead the fight against corruption in South East Europe. The SPAI RSLO as legal entity was established by the Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Office of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe - signed on 15 September 2003.
Against the background, SPAI’s added value in the future will have to be measured in terms of the support it can provide to:
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the elaboration, improvement and implementation of national anti-corruption plans
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the strengthening of specialised anti-corruption services
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networking and engaging regional dynamics and synergies
In all these activities, the newly established SPAI Regional Office based in Sarajevo will play an important role, also as a part of the increasing regional ownership.
Detailed information can be found at http://spai-rslo.org/new.asp
(*) Evaluation reports containing recommendations are available under http://www.greco.coe.int
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