The OECD reminds Austria to continue implementing the Convention on Combating Foreign Bribery. Clarity is required, for example, in legal proceedings.
Significant progress has been made in recent years. However, according to a recent evaluation report, key issues need to be addressed to ensure that Austrian authorities can effectively combat the bribery of foreign officials.
The working group states that legal proceedings for bribery of foreign officials have led to a large number of acquittals. Furthermore, criminal prosecution against legal entities is very limited and therefore sanctions should be strengthened.
The OECD sees problems with prosecutors
Another problem remains the independence of the Public Prosecution Service in Austria, which had already arisen before the most recent evaluation questions.
The 46-country OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business has just completed its Phase 4 review of the Convention’s implementation. The report also proposes further clarification on the crime itself. This concerns, for example, the limitation period, criminal prosecution of legal entities, the protection of public prosecutors and extrajudicial solutions.
Improvements also noted
The report also mentions positive developments in Austria. The resources of law enforcement authorities specialized in the fight against corruption have been significantly improved. The practice of providing legal assistance has also improved.
Source: Krone
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