274. In view of the above, GRECO addresses the following recommendations to Belarus:

i. to ensure that comprehensive studies, including research independent of the state, are carried out in order to gain a more profound insight into the phenomenon, extent and risks of corruption in the various sectors and at the different levels of public administration, in the private sector and among ordinary citizens in order to provide a solid basis from which to target the problems in an appropriate and tailored manner (paragraph 51);
ii. that the coordination structure for the fight against corruption be provided with a broader and permanent representation of the non-governmental sector (including through independent non-governmental organisations, academics, media etc) (paragraph 56);
iii. establishing an evidence-based comprehensive strategy and plan of action for the fight against corruption which, in addition to law enforcement measures, has a strong emphasis on corruption prevention, in particular the need to improve the transparency of public administration, freedom of expression and the development of an independent media. The strategy and plan need to cover all parts of the public sector and must be accompanied by realistic time frames for implementation and impact assessment; they should also take into account the results of the previous anti-corruption programmes (paragraph 60);
iv. to ensure independent, comprehensive and objective monitoring, separate from law enforcement agencies, of the implementation and of the impact of anticorruption programmes. Civil society should be in a position to provide input and to make its views known on the outcome of such monitoring (paragraph 61);
v. that the operational independence of the various law enforcement agencies and their investigative staff be strengthened and combined with the accountability that comes with appropriate checks and balances under the principle of the rule of law (paragraph 122); vi. that law enforcement staff specialised in corruption prevention and detection are provided with uniform training at regular intervals with regard to the typology of corruption and the prevention and detection of corruption offences (paragraph 123); vii. ensuring that i) an appropriate level of specialisation to handle corruption investigations be maintained and/or developed, as necessary, within the newly created Investigation Committee and ii) that its staff benefits from continuous inservice training concerning the particular features of corruption offences and their
investigation, including international dimension (paragraph 124);
viii. to strengthen the independence of the Office of the Prosecutor General and of all other prosecutors from undue and improper influence (from any level), and by so doing, ensure that this body is governed by the appropriate checks and balances embodied in the principle of the rule of law (paragraph 127);
ix. to strengthen the judicial independence of the Constitutional Court, especially as regards the appointment and dismissal of judges, fully in line with the principles of the separation of powers and the rule of law (paragraph 131);
x. to establish an independent collegial mechanism (such as a High Judicial Council) entrusted with the selection of candidates for the position of judge and thus, to limit, to the extent possible, the involvement of the President in the appointment of judges to courts as well as in the formation of organs of the judiciary, such as the presidiums of the Supreme Court and of the Supreme Economic Court (paragraph 132);
xi. to take measures to strengthen the independence of the judiciary notably by i) providing for legislative guarantees for the non-removability of judges and ii) revising the procedure for termination in office (whether at the end of any single initial and/or other temporary employment period), dismissal from office and initiating disciplinary actions against judges (paragraph 133);
xii. i) to limit presidential immunity to the term of office of the President and ii) to establish specific, objective and transparent criteria to be applied by Parliament when deciding on requests for the lifting of immunities and to ensure that decisions concerning immunity are free from political considerations and based only on the merits of the request submitted (paragraph 142);
xiii. i) to abolish the presidential powers to give consent to or veto the initiation of criminal cases, including cases of corruption, in respect of public officials whose posts appear in the Personnel Register of the President; and ii) to substantially reduce the number of officials subject to specific procedures limiting their investigation/prosecution for corruption offences to the minimum required in a
democratic society (paragraph 144);
xiv. to consider the introduction of in rem confiscation, accompanied by pertinent safeguards under the principle of the rule of law (paragraph 170);
xv. to adopt measures aimed at the deconcentration of powers and influence within the executive branch of public administration and reinforcing the public accountability of the various administrative bodies in Belarus (paragraph 219);
xvi. i) to establish a structure, distinct from the law enforcement authorities, with an appropriate level of independence and with broad independent civil society representation, to co-ordinate the implementation of various anti-corruption programmes within the public administration and ii) to set up a mechanism for an on-going assessment of the implementation of sectoral anti-corruption programmes and plans of action within the public administration (paragraph 220);

xvii. to establish a mechanism entrusted both with the independent monitoring and promotion of the proper implementation of the legislation on access to public information (paragraph 221);
xviii. to establish an Ombudsman institution, truly independent from the executive branch, with a mandate to deal with complaints from the wider public concerning maladministration within State authorities (paragraph 222);
xix. to clarify and harmonise the rules on what constitutes acceptable gifts to public officials (paragraph 224);
xx. i) to introduce an obligation and clear rules/guidelines for employees and officials of public administration to report instances of corruption or suspicions thereof, which they come across in their duty; ii) to establish adequate protection of employees and officials of public administration who report situations of suspected corruption in good faith (“whistleblowers”) and iii) to promote awareness of these measures widely amongst employees and officials of public administration (paragraph 225);
xxi. i) to establish a model code of conduct/ethics, including positive guidance for employees and officials of public administration on their daily practices vis-à-vis the wider public and ii) to ensure related in-service training on the implementation of such soft law instruments, in particular in relation to the prevention of corruption (paragraph 226);
xxii. i) to strengthen the controlling functions of the registering authorities with regard to pertinent information on legal persons in the registration process in order to eliminate the possibilities of establishing fake or “one day” companies and ii) to enhance the role and the accessibility of the unified registry of legal persons in the identification of the real founders and purposes of the registered or liquidated legal persons (paragraph 264);
xxiii. to adopt modern accounting legislation in compliance with international accounting standards and to provide for the uniform implementation of such standards in respect of legal persons (paragraph 265);
xxiv. to adopt appropriate legislation to establish liability of legal persons for corruption offences and to provide effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions in these cases - including monetary sanctions - in compliance with the requirements of the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (ETS 173) (paragraph 266).

275. In conformity with Rule 30.2 of the Rules of Procedure, GRECO invites the authorities of Belarus to present a report on the implementation of the above-mentioned recommendations by 31 December 2013.

276. Finally, GRECO invites the authorities of Belarus to authorise, as soon as possible, the publication of the report, to translate the report into the national language and to make this translation public.”