The OECD Working Group on Bribery has released a review of Greece’s efforts to fight foreign bribery on March 20 at 11 a.m. (central European time).

The Phase 3bis Report on Greece by the OECD Working Group on Bribery evaluates and makes recommendations to Greece on its implementation of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and related instruments.

According to the report, Greece has made efforts to tackle domestic corruption in the country, but it needs to give much higher priority to fighting foreign bribery.

Specifically, the report says: “Greece does not fully appreciate that its companies are at substantial risk of committing foreign bribery. The National Anti-Corruption Action Plan and other government policies continue to only address “corruption” generally which is interpreted as referring only to domestic corruption. This sends an unfortunate message that fighting domestic corruption is a priority during an economic crisis, but foreign bribery is an acceptable means to win overseas business and improve Greece’s economy. Greece must therefore urgently raise the priority of fighting foreign bribery and explicitly address foreign bribery in its national anti-corruption strategies. Awareness-raising efforts must specifically address foreign bribery and especially target the export, shipping and SME sectors.”

There are also concerns about enforcement and detection. Greece has seven on-going foreign bribery investigations, which is a welcome development. However, one case was closed without a thorough investigation, says the OECD Working Group, adding that Greece must urgently take all necessary measures to assess and investigate allegations seriously and without delay.

The Working Group made further recommendations to improve Greece’s fight against foreign bribery, including:

·         Raise awareness of foreign bribery, especially among exporting, shipping, and small- and medium-sized companies

·         Develop and implement a strategy to detect foreign bribery

·         Assess and investigate all credible foreign bribery allegations seriously and without delay

·         Provide prosecutors and investigators with sufficient resources

·         Better protect whistleblowers from retaliation

Read the full report on Greece’s efforts to fight bribery here