In a report published today on corruption prevention in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors, GRECO, the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body, concludes that France has implemented only four of the eleven recommendations made since 2013.

While a number of positive measures have been taken (concerning, for example, parliamentary assistants, their status and professional obligations, the setting up of a public register of cases of abstention or withdrawal by parliamentarians, the abolition of the parliamentary reserve facility and the operational expenses allowance), GRECO concludes that the current level of compliance with its recommendations is “globally unsatisfactory”.

It calls on the French authorities to make further progress with regard to:

• the rules on conflicts of interest and gifts, and public access to member of parliaments’ and senators’ declarations of assets;
• the criteria for the award of honorary decorations and distinctions, and the commencement of disciplinary proceedings before the Judicial Service Commission with regard to judges, and the Commission’s investigative powers.

France is therefore called upon to submit a report on progress in implementing the recommendations still pending as soon as possible and at the latest by 30 June 2019.