1Rule of Law: Implementing a Comprehensive and Integrated Approach in Prevention and Fight against

Corruption in the Danube Region, Pravetz 21-22 May 2012

The Corruption Prevention Programme of Hungarian

Government

Ms. Eszter Dargay Head of Department, Secretariat of the State Secretary

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CORRUPTION IN HUNGARY - BACKGROUND

• Hungary is a medium touched country with deteriorating tendencies (TI CPI scores 2009: 5,1; 2010: 4,7, 2011: 4,6) → ACTION IS NECESSARY

• The number of detected corruption crimes is around 850 yearly → NEW METHODS ARE NECESSARY

• The Eurobarometer survey on Corruption of 2012 shows that 97% of the Hungarian have the opinion that corruption is a major problem in Hungary. → LARGE SUPPORT

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MEASURES AGAINST CORRUPTION SINCE 2010

• Strengthening the anti-corruption capacities of the Prosecution Service and the

Court of Justice

• Introduction of the integrity testing for the professional personnel of armed forces

and public servants, executed by the newly established National Protective Service

• Revision of the Criminal Code Act and other regulations for a more efficient and

effective prosecution of corruption crimes

• 2009-2012 – Integrity Project of the State Audit Office (new, value-based

approach, mapping corruption risks and promoting integrity of public

administration organisations)

• Common declaration on a coordinated, effective anti-corruption action plan

(2011)

• Adoption of the 2-years Corruption Prevention Programme (29. 03. 2012)

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THE CORRUPTION PREVENTION PROGRAMME

• Adopted by the Government, based on the Common Declaration and on the

Integrity Project of the State Audit Office

• Value-based approach, the main goal is to promote integrity inside the public

administration

• Focus on the State, parallel measures in party-financing and parasolvency in

the health care

• Principles: credibility, gradualism (step-by-step), simultaneous action against

corruption in the public administration and economy, co-operation with NGOs,

prevention and organisation development

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PROGRAM ME CONTENT I. - ETHICS

• Implementation of the integrity management system and integrity

officers in the Hungarian public administration organizations (pilot:

2012, general: 2014)

• Green book on ethics for public servants (adoption

a Code of Ethics by the Corps of Public Servants)

• Establishment a whistleblowing system in the public administration

(local and governmental level)

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PROGRAM ME CONTENT II. - EDUCATION

• Organisaton of trainings and e-

learning courses for public servants

(focus group: leaders and scholars)

• National University of Public Service

– studies on ethics and integrity

• Complementation the National Core Curriculum with ethics and

anti-corruption requirements (for primary school students)

• Information campaign for the society and Hungarian enterprises

about the risks of corruption

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PROGRAMME CONTENT III. - LEGISLATION

• Revision of the current impact assessment system for reducing

corruption risks in the legislation process

• Revision of the legal system for the better implementation of

the Anti-bribery convention of the OECD

• New law for strenghtening the criminal liability of legal

persons

• Internal rules for the public administration organizations on

transparency relations with lobbyists

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PROGRAMME CONTENT IV. - COORDINATION

• Center of policy coordination: Ministry of Public Administration and

Justice

• Providing information for the ministry about the integrity measures of

the public administration organisations (contact points: integrity

officers)

• Enlargement of the participants of the Common Declaration for

integrity

• Governmental transparency: joining to the Open Government

Declaration (concrete commitments)

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FINANCIAL BACKGROUND

• Initiation of a Corruption Prevention Project for realising the

Program’s goals (EU founded priority project)

• Budget of the Project: 1,63 million EUR (one of the largest anti-

corruption projects in the EU)

• Realization: 2012-2014 (2 years)

• Project owner: Ministry of Public Administration and Justice

Anti-corruption activities of the Ministry of Interior in Hungary

Rule of Law: Implementing a Comprehensive and Integrated Approach in Prevention and Fight against Corruption in the Danube Region, Pravetz 21-22 May 2012 10

Ms. Eszter Dargay

Head of Department, Secretariat of the State Secretary

Corruption cannot be successfully fought against in general!

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THE NATIONAL PROTECTIVE SERVICE

Established: 1st January 2011

„Protected” organizations:• Law enforcement agencies

• Civilian secret services

• Administrative government agencies

Strong powers – strict legal guarantees

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Almost 100.000 personnel!

THE TASKS OF THE NPS I.

Crime prevention and detection

Prevention and detection – NOT investigation:→immediately report to the competent investigation

authority→pass the collected data to the prosecutor’s office

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THE TASKS OF THE NPS I.

Crime prevention and detection

Main cases are detected by the NPS: Crimes related to office Bribery Abuse of personal data Harbouring a criminal Forgery of official documents Blackmailing Crimes committed in place of service or related to the activity of the office Military crimes (except for the escape, the rebellion and the threat to

combat readiness)

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THE TASKS OF THE NPS II.

Lifestyle monitoring

Applicants & the proffesional staff, who have already been employed

More strict requirements!

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THE TASKS OF THE NPS III.

Integrity test

NPS creates „realistic conditions or situations”

Do the staff member fulfill the statutory obligations?

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PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION MONITORING PROJECT

Information providing based on aerial photography

Explore and discover illegal construction activities

Anti-corruption effect Authorities has no discretional power

Changes the builders’ attitude for the better

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Thank you for your attention!

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