Agency for Prevention of Corruption

Training Held for Local Councillors on “Ethical Standards, Good Conduct and Prevention of Conflict of Interest”

Training was also attended by representatives of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption and 41 participants from 18 Montenegrin municipalities
March 27, 2019

Training for local councillors on “Ethical Standards, Good Conduct and Prevention of Conflict of Interest” was held on 26 March in Podgorica and 27 March in Budva under the project for fighting organised crime in Montenegro.

The aim of this activity was to educate participants on application of the Guidelines on professional conduct of local councillors which were developed under the project in order to contribute to the fulfilment of recommendations from GRECO Report of the fourth evaluation round and improve implementation of the Code of Ethics for local councillors.

Representative of the Agency Ms. Maja Karas Bošković, who presented legal framework and three-year experience in the work of this body in the area of prevention of conflict of interest, informed participants about practical examples and about the obligation to file request for opinion in order to ensure preventive action in the situations when private interest of local councillor is involved.

Presenting draft version of the guidelines, the Council of Europe expert Mr. Quentin Reed emphasised that the aim of the Guidelines is to clearly indicate obligations of local councillors during the exercise of public office and to show ethical dilemmas they might face and the ways to overcome them.

Mr. Reed in particular emphasised the need to amend the Law on Prevention of Corruption, stressing that the existing prohibitions applicable to local councillors who have some external functions need to be made less strict.

In that regard, the Secretary General of the Union of Municipalities Mr. Refik Bojadžić stressed that article 12 of the Law, which sets out restrictions in the exercise of public office in public enterprises and public institutions, needs to be amended.

During the discussion, it was concluded that local councillors, even though there is no prescribed legal obligation in that regard, in accordance with international standards and Code of Ethics of local assemblies, should file statements in the cases when their private interest is involved in voting and decision-making.

Focus was also placed on the issue of status of ethics committees which are, for the purpose of applying codes of ethics, appointed by municipal assemblies, while the CoE expert said that committee members should be local councillors.

The training was attended by representatives of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption and 41 participants from 18 Montenegrin municipalities.

The project for the fight against economic crime in Montenegro is implemented by the Council of Europe with the support from the European Commission in the framework of the Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey.

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