The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has urged Iceland to strengthen anti-corruption measures to prevent improper conduct in government and law enforcement.
In a report following the fifth round of the organisation’s evaluations, GRECO welcomed Iceland’s efforts to strengthen anti-corruption measures and raise awareness of the forms corruption can take, but warned that the country must take additional steps.
Following the financial crash of 2008, which saw the close relationship between public authorities and private interests create structural vulnerabilities in Iceland, and the collapse of two subsequent governments thanks to various controversies, Iceland established a governmental anti-corruption steering group in 2014.
In its report, GRECO welcomed the creation of this group; however, the organisation also found it ‘striking’ that in this established context, the steering group has not issued any form of strategic action or dedicating, overarching policy to reinforce the integrity of state institutions.
What has GRECO recommended?
The main concern that GRECO raised with Iceland’s practices is the lack of a sufficient and credible enforcement mechanism for dynamically applying the laws. The group’s report urges the creation of an overarching strategy to address this.
Such a strategy should include the development of integrity policies regarding senior executive functions, and in particular when this involves conflicts of interest, and ensure that Iceland is able to take recourse against officials who engage in corruption beyond simply forcing them to resign.
Iceland should also strengthen its system of periodic declarations of assets and interests. In particular, GRECO recommends the country take better steps to account for the possibility that assets may be deliberately registered in the name of a spouse or someone else, as a means of avoiding having to declare them.
GRECO is a mutual evaluation mechanism of the 47 Council of Europe member states, and undertakes periodic evaluations of all members to ensure they are making progress to strengthen anti-corruption measures and legislation. Iceland is due to report back on its progress in implementing GRECO’s recommendations by September 2019.
