The European Commission considers that KNAB and several other Latvian law enforcement authorities demonstrate the capacity to efficiently investigate and transfer to prosecution authorities criminal cases regarding corruption offences committed or planned by public officials, including criminal cases of bribery of foreign public officials.
The European Commission also highlights the contribution of KNAB to the improvement of the anti-corruption legislation, bringing about a number of significant changes. For example, by aligning the policy on penalties for pre-election campaign procedure violations, irrespective of the environment in which the violation is committed. As already reported by KNAB, amendments entered into force on 1 January 2024, stipulating that legal entities, including political organisations, shall be subject to a maximum fine of EUR 7 100 for pre-election campaign procedure violations or non-compliance with the established restrictions in public places, press publications, as well as social networks and elsewhere on the internet.
The European Commission has also noted progress in meeting the targets set out in the Corruption Prevention and Combating Action Plan 2023-2025. At the same time, the European Commission has praised KNAB’s initiative to develop a national corruption risk assessment methodology tailored specifically to Latvia, which will, among other things, provide guidelines for identifying hidden corruption risks.
The European Commission simultaneously highlights the expansion of KNAB’s existing reporting channels with the launch of a new online reporting platform and its mobile app ‘Report to KNAB!’ (“Ziņo KNAB!” – in Latvian) last year. Compared to other reporting channels, the reporting party can follow the progress of the information and continue to communicate with the responsible KNAB official even if the report is made anonymously. Society plays a huge role in the fight against corruption, therefore KNAB welcomes anyone who is intolerant of corruption and reports corruption crimes or their planning.
The European Commission, analysing Latvia’s actions in the area of anti-corruption policy planning, proposes that Latvia continue its work on the efficient implementation of the regulatory framework on transparency of interest representation or so-called lobbying, including by establishing a special register of interest representation.
The European Commission’s document assesses the rule of law situation in the European Union Member States and the implementation of recommendations made in the previous year, and also makes new recommendations to Member States. The document covers four pillars, i.e. anti-corruption framework, national judicial systems, media pluralism and freedom, and institutional checks and balances.
A full version of the annual report on the rule of law situation in the European Union drafted by the European Commission is available on the website of the European Commission.