Cyprus Integrity Forum calls for more action following new GRECO report

The Cyprus Integrity Forum (CIF) has noted that the Council of Europe believes the country still has work to do to prevent corruption and promote integrity

A CIF announcement pointed out that the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has published a fifth-round evaluation report on the efforts of Cyprus to prevent corruption and promote integrity with respect to law enforcement agencies and top executive officers.

Although the GRECO committee welcomed the actions taken by the Cyprus Government to include stronger features in the legislation passed, yet it identified serious “flaws” which hinder substantial improvement in combatting corruption and promoting transparency, CIFA noted. These flaws include the lack of strong coordination, resources, expertise, and authority of the committees that aim to implement the anti-corruption measures. As underline by CIFA, GRECO specifically stressed the following: The need for better access to information, targeted measures to enhance transparency regarding the selection of high-rank officers, and the urgent need for the Whistleblowing protection legislation to be implemented effectively.

“As Cyprus Integrity Forum, we offer our active support to all institutions involved in this process, including the Ministry of Justice and the Cyprus Police. Given our recent past as a country, we strongly believe in being pre-emptive and taking immediate action on all problematic directions,” the Forum said in its announcement, adding, “With our strong affiliations with international organisations and our long-evolved know-how, we can work side by side with Cyprus institutions and Cyprus Government Officials, so that we can jointly create a more ethical and transparent society for the generations to come.”