LISBON: Portugal has been tardy to implement new anti-corruption measures in government and law enforcement, according to a top European anti-corruption monitoring group on Wednesday, amid increasing concerns over the openness of government-backed corporate agreements.
The study by the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO), which is part of the Council of Europe’s major rights monitor, is the outcome of its fifth cycle of examination of Portugal, which began in 2017.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigned in November following a probe into potential irregularities in his administration’s management of numerous significant investment projects, and the country is set to hold a sudden general election on March 10. Costa has repeatedly denied any misconduct.
In a statement, GRECO stated that while Portugal has “developed an extensive anti-corruption legal and institutional framework … there have been noticeable delays in the effective implementation and monitoring of the rules in place in many areas” .
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“Neither the National Anti-Corruption Mechanism nor the Entity for Transparency are yet fully operational,” it stated, calling for integrity vetting for government employees, post-employment limits, and greater transparency in government interactions with lobbyists and third parties.
According to the report, the government’s code of conduct needed to be supplemented by sufficient instruction, particularly addressing conflicts of interest and gifts, as well as a framework of supervision and penalty.
Whistleblower processes were required to be established inside law enforcement agencies that demand greater transparency in how they are managed and reveal their information.
