Action against Corruption in the Republic of Moldova – Phase 2 focuses on addressing pressing needs in the country which are closely interlinked with the reform processes initiated by the Government of the Republic of Moldova and their obligations towards implementing international standards against corruption.

The intervention areas in this second phase represent a follow-up of the assistance provided to the Moldovan authorities by the Council of Europe from June 2020 to November 2021 through the “Action against Corruption in the Republic of Moldova”, funded by Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, United States Department of State. It is tailored to deliver legislative, policy and institutional impact by addressing pending recommendations from the 4th Evaluation Round of the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), by providing related support to the authorities to ensure that any new measures do not create a situation of regress on previous reforms implemented to address GRECO recommendations, and ahead of the 5th round of evaluations.

In this respect, the Action will carry out a comprehensive set of interventions, including reviews, capacity building and training, to facilitate the understanding, adoption and application of procedures, practices and tools that strengthen the prevention of corruption.

Building on the achievements of the first phase of the Action, the current phase will assist Moldovan institutions in the following areas:

• Improvement of independence through reinforced structural safeguards for judges and prosecutors ;
• Improvement of effectiveness of the National Integrity Authority in respect to performing integrity controls of persons entrusted with top executive functions ;
• Reinforcement and application of corruption prevention measures by top executive functions and law enforcement agencies ;
• Provision of advice to the Ministry of Justice on anti-corruption and integrity related legislative and institutional reforms.

The Action started on 1 September 2022, with a duration of 24 months and a budget of $400 000. It is funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the US Department of State. The Council of Europe, and more specifically the Department of Action against Crime, through its Economic Crime and Cooperation Division (ECCD) is in-charge of implementing activities under this Project.

The main counterparts of the project are the Government and Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, the National Integrity Authority, the Superior Council of Prosecutors, the Superior Council of Magistracy (including Judicial and Prosecutorial Inspections), and the Law enforcement agencies.