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EC: Czechia has made progress in judicial reform, but issues concern corruption investigations

by AI | 24.Jul 2024 | Europe in brief AI

The Czech Republic has made significant progress in reforming the public prosecution office in the past year and has also completed the review of conflict of interest regulations, but still has certain shortcomings in investigating high-level corruption cases.

Prague, Prague Castle. Photo ČTK Connect, Olga Patáková

Brussels – The Czech Republic has made significant progress in the past year in reforming the state prosecution and also in completing the revision of conflict of interest regulations, but still has certain shortcomings when it comes to investigating high-level corruption cases. This was stated today by the European Commission in its annual report on the state of the rule of law in EU member states. Despite progress in some areas, the EC notes that problems remain in the Czech Republic regarding the implementation of reforms related to transparency of media ownership information.

According to Czech EC Vice President Věra Jourová, whose team coordinated the preparation of the fifth annual report, the recommendations also included that the Czech Republic should introduce a lobbying law. It is also important to ensure sufficient funding for public service media in the Czech Republic, she pointed out. “The Czechs are a solid, let’s say, average, although it is difficult to measure,” said Jourová, in comparison to the rule of law in other EU countries. According to her, there is a stable system in the Czech Republic, and “there have been no attempts to rape the judiciary and limit the independence of the courts or attempts to annex the media by politics.”

Like in the past three years, the EU executive divided the evaluation into four chapters dedicated to judicial systems, anti-corruption efforts, media plurality, and overall control and balance of institutions. In the case of the Czech Republic, Brussels sees positive developments in the area of justice. “The Czech Republic has made significant progress in continuing the reform of the state prosecution,” the EC report says. “Some progress has also been made in adopting measures to shorten the length of proceedings and ensure the independence of investigations and prosecutions in high-level corruption cases,” the document adds.

To the Czech Republic, the EU executive recommends “taking measures to address the remuneration of judges” and other employees of the judicial system. Czech authorities should also ensure that “rules or mechanisms for providing funds to public service media” are introduced so that they can fulfill their public service mission and at the same time ensure their independence. (July 24)