EU Scrutinizes Slovenia's New Anti-Corruption Body 'Skok'

European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and Rule of Law, Michael McGrath, has focused discussions in Slovenia on the proposed anti-corruption body, Skok. While the law establishing Skok was announced weeks ago, the new coalition government appears to be in no hurry to draft the legislative proposal, which must comply with European anti-corruption directives.

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At this stage, we have an announced intention to introduce certain reforms in Slovenia in the fight against corruption, but we do not yet have all the details. We are waiting for the draft legislation, which the Commission will, of course, carefully examine.

McGrath noted that Slovenia's current anti-corruption framework already aligns with the EU directive. Consequently, any new legislative solutions proposed by the coalition will face close scrutiny from the European Commission. "At this stage, we have an announced intention to introduce certain reforms in Slovenia in the fight against corruption, but we do not yet have all the details. We are waiting for the draft legislation, which the Commission will, of course, carefully examine," McGrath told Delo.

He stressed that every EU member state must take the fight against corruption very seriously and fully align with the adopted European anti-corruption directive, which needs to be transposed into national legislation within the next few years. "This is a sensitive area of policy, so it is important that appropriate consultation with stakeholders takes place, that the legislative procedure is fully respected, and that all issues are carefully considered," warned the European Commissioner.

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This is a sensitive area of policy, so it is important that appropriate consultation with stakeholders takes place, that the legislative procedure is fully respected, and that all issues are carefully considered.

Unofficial reports suggest a narrow group of experts linked to the Democrat and SDS parties are preparing the Skok law, excluding other stakeholders from the drafting process. McGrath confirmed that the Slovenian government had not yet contacted the European Commission regarding reforms to the anti-corruption system, though he acknowledged the government had only recently taken office. He cautioned that "no reform in any member state should lead to a weakening of anti-corruption standards" and that bodies involved in preventing and prosecuting corruption must be free from undue political influence and adequately resourced.

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We must ensure that no reform in any member state leads to a weakening of anti-corruption standards.