Croatia joins OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions

On 12 October, the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions accepted Croatia’s request to acceede to the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and membership of the Working Group.

The decision taken at the OECD's meeting in Paris marks an important progress of the Republic of Croatia in the process of accession to the OECD, which officially started in June 2022, when Croatia became a candidate country.

“The decision of the OECD Working Group on Bribery is an important step in our accession to the OECD and acknowledgment of the efforts we have made in this process. Entering the OECD is the most important foreign policy objective of our Government, and the decision to accede to the Convention and the Working Group is a sign that we are on the right track. In the year in which we have already fulfilled very important political goals – entry into Schengen area and the eurozone, this is yet another recognition to the Republic of Croatia", said Minister Malenica.

In 2017, Croatia submitted a request to the OECD to accede to the Convention and to the Working Group. The evaluation process started in 2022, when Croatia underwent a preliminary assessment of the Working Group and completed the Secretariat’s questionnaire on the legislative framework and law enforcement in the areas covered by the Convention.

The Ministry of Justice and Public Administration adopted the amendments to the Criminal Code and the Act on the Liability of Legal Persons for Criminal Offences, and the Ministry of Finance adopted the amendments to the Corporate Income Tax Act, thus bringing the Croatian legislative framework in line with the provisions of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.

With the acceptance of Croatia's request at today’s meeting, the requirements have been met for starting the procedure of ratification of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. Meanwhile, a formal invitation and an exchange of letters between the OECD and the Republic of Croatia are expected.  The Working Group will proceed to the first phase of the evaluation of compliance of the Croatian legislative framework with the provisions of the Convention.

The Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions was adopted in December 1997 and entered into force in February 1999. In addition to 38 OECD member states, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Peru, the Russian Federation, Romania and South Africa are Parties to the Convention, which makes a total of 45 States Parties.

The Convention is the first and only international treaty specifically aimed at transnational bribery in the field of business. As a legally binding international instrument, its Parties agree to establish bribery of foreign public officials as a criminal offence under their respective laws and to investigate, prosecute and sanction the offence.

The OECD Working Group to which Croatia is acceding was established in 1994 and is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention.

Photo: OECD 

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