site.btaAnti-corruption Plans in Various Sectors to Be Elaborated by Late October

Anti-corruption Plans in Various Sectors to Be Elaborated by Late October

Sofia, July 8 (BTA) - The National Council for Anti-Corruption Policies (NCACP) with the Council of Ministers held its first meeting on Wednesday. Emerging from the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister for European Policy and Institutional Affairs Meglena Kuneva said that anti-corruption plans will be elaborated by the end of October in the sectors of tax and customs organization, healthcare, agriculture and forestry, transport, and energy. This measure is part of the Action Plan for the National Strategy for Fighting and Preventing Corruption in 2015-2020, adopted at Wednesday's meeting.

The Justice Ministry has to present a concept for corruption-related amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Penal Code by the end of 2015, the Action Plan also stipulates. The Interior Ministry, which is ahead with the elaboration of its anti-corruption plan, will present the document to the NCACP in September.

Kuneva said that the next NCACP meeting will include a discussion on lobbying activity and a possible special bill on the matter. In her words, lobbying is a normal practice in many countries and in the EU institutions when it is regulated.

"The National Council also reviewed the recommendations of GRECO [the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption]. To a certain extent, we can respond to them with the proposals for amendments to the Judiciary Act and the High-Level Corruption Prevention Act," Kuneva said. She specified that the term for implementing GRECO's recommendations is long enough, but the parties should not give up on their commitment to support the constitutional changes and the judicial reform.

The NCACP meeting also discussed the composition of its Civil Council, which will have consultative functions. It will comprise two representatives of nongovernmental organizations with rich experience in the elaboration of anti-corruption policies.