OSCE – EU network and anti-corruption
It’s always good to see the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) – Parliamentary Assembly, working on anti-corruption with the European Union (EU). What was interesting was the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly Vice President and Special Representative on Fighting Corruption’s emphasis that “transparency begins with the verification of the true beneficial owners of all entities involved in EU-funded projects. She called for these checks to be completed from the very start and for all related contracts to be made accessible to the public.” The other element of anti-corruption which she considered important was that strict enforcement of conflict of interest rules is essential, with any connections between companies and politically exposed persons to be thoroughly and independently investigated. It is reassuring that this is being emphasized since, unfortunately outside of the European Union, specifically the Unites States, senior officials have been ignoring and overlooking obvious conflict of interest issues.
Why is this important? To have a very senior representative of the OSCE emphasize focusing on anti-corruption helps the EU focus on this when looking at large-scale projects. Enforcement is important but if there can be independent oversight, during bidding, this is essential to maintain integrity and ensure responsible management of both European and national resources. Also the need for protecting whistleblowers and upholding the rules around lobbying were also highlighted as critical components in safeguarding transparency and accountability. So much of this seems obvious, but repetition of this publicly is essential during this challenging time worldwide.
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