Press-release: Corruption in Poland

[Gość: AskEU]

Press-release: Corruption in Poland




POLAND PREFERS POLITICAL BICKERING TO EFFECTIVE ANTI-CORRUPTION SOLUTIONS,
OSI SAYS

For immediate release, Warsaw and Budapest, 6 November 2002

Polish political forces need to stop using corruption as a tool to fight
each other and instead start facing corruption in an effective way.
Corruption has reached alarming levels in Poland, both in the public and the
private sector. The adoption of a National Anti-Corruption Policy in
September 2002 is welcome, but it is still unclear whether it will bring
real changes. These are the main conclusions of a monitoring report on
corruption and anti-corruption policy in Poland released today by the Open
Society Institute.

The Open Society Institute released today a report monitoring corruption and
anti-corruption policy in Poland. According to the OSI report, a broad range
of institutions is seriously affected by corruption and the level of
corruption is alarming. Corruption is a serious problem in many areas,
including public procurement, the healthcare system - where corruption
appears to be systemic - and the private sector. More than one third of
public expenditure in Poland is accounted for by agencies that are funded by
the State but effectively uncontrolled, such as the Social Insurance Fund.

Above all, OSI recommends that Polish political forces find a consensus on
fighting corruption. The lack of such a consensus seems to be the main
obstacle to progress in this area. Corruption is an increasingly prominent
political issue in Poland. Worse, it has become one of the most important
weapons of populist and extremist parties that are otherwise opposed to EU
accession. "Poland has reached a situation where corruption both
delegitimises politics and serves the cause of populist and extremist
political forces," says Quentin Reed, editor of the report.

Convictions for bribery in Poland have increased considerably in recent
years but in parallel the capacity to fight corruption has not improved.
Development of expertise among police and prosecutors to fight corruption
remains minimal, and the police itself suffers from serious problems of
corruption. The Prosecutor-General is also the Minister of Justice, a
political figure, and this puts in doubt the ability of prosecutors to
pursue high-level corruption cases. Moreover, the courts appear to be
troubled by serious problems of corruption, exacerbated by the extensive
protection guaranteed to judges by immunity provisions.

Despite significant civil service reform such as the adoption of a Civil
Service Act, patronage appointments to senior positions are increasing. This
combines with inadequate provisions regulating conflicts of interest, both
for Members of Parliament and public officials. The media is active in
exposing corruption, but management of public television is strongly
politicised and is unable to play any watchdog role. On the positive side,
important reforms of political party funding have been implemented since
2001, and Poland also stands out among candidate countries in the area of
State audit, with the Supreme Chamber of Control regarded as the most
effective institution of its kind in the region.

In its latest assessment of candidate countries the European Commission
underlines corruption in Poland as a continuing serious problem and one of
the failings that must be remedied for EU accession. OSI recommends in
particular changing the status of State agencies funded outside the State
budget, reforms to eliminate widespread patronage appointments, and measures
to ensure the independence of prosecutors.

The EUMAP report recommends entrusting anti-corruption policy to an
independent body. "Poland needs a clear demonstration of political will to
fight corruption at the highest level, and transferring responsibilities to
a body free from direct executive interference may help build support across
the political spectrum for consistent anti-corruption policy," says Quentin
Reed, editor of the report.

Note to editors

This report released today is part of a volume on Corruption and Anti-
corruption Policy in the ten candidate States of Central and Eastern Europe
(CEE). The volume focuses on the prevalence of corruption in these countries
as well as on the legal and institutional structures and policies with which
Governments are seeking to combat it.

The full volume is in English. Country reports and the general overview are
also available in the national language of the monitored country. Each
report contains specific recommendations to the Government and to the EU.

The volume is produced by EUMAP, the EU Accession Monitoring Program of the
Open Society Institute whose mission is the promotion of responsible and
sustainable EU enlargement. EUMAP monitors human rights and the rule of law
issues jointly with local NGOs and civil society organisations in ten
Central and Eastern European (and five EU) countries. EUMAP reports
emphasise the importance of civil society monitoring and encourage a direct
dialogue between governmental and non-governmental actors on issues related
to the political criteria for EU accession.

EUMAP's monitoring reports focus on Minority Protection, Judicial Capacity,
and Corruption and Anti-corruption Policy. EUMAP has also supported an
independent initiative of the Network Women's Program/Open Society
Foundation Romania to monitor Equal Opportunities for Women and Men.

HEY, ALE ZA TO ANTYSEMITYZM KWITNIE W POLSCE

[Gość: ABDUL]