Politics and Private Interests Accountability Instruments Johannesburg, April 3, 2007

Accountability instruments  Transparent access to public funds and active control institutions  Freedom of information  Public disclosure

Transparent access to public funds  Public procurement procedures: Inclusive eligibility criteria Clear and transparent selection criteria Predictable process  State subsidies  Exemptions / delays from tax payments  Public-private partnerships

Freedom of information  Rule: Free access to information  Exemptions: limited and clearly defined  Clear deadlines and strict procedures for providing public information  Access to justice in case of refusal

Public disclosure  Financing of political parties and electoral campaigns  Declarations of wealth and interests for public sector employees  Budgets, investment plans and expenditure reports

Financing of political parties and electoral campaigns  Publication of all sources of funding  Clear rules on membership fees and donations  Clear rules on access to state subsidies  Effective controls  Deterrent and proportional sanctions for non-compliance

Declarations of wealth and interests  Publicly accessible declarations  Including assets and interests of family members  Comprehensive instruments  Sanctions for non-submission of the declarations

Budgets, investment plans and expenditure reports  Publication and public debate on draft budgets and investment plans  Adoption of budgets and investment plans through transparent procedure  Publication of comprehensive expenditure reports

Prerequisites for accountability  Awareness campaigns  Active civil society and media  Independent and efficient judiciary

LAURA OANA STEFAN MINISTRY OF JUSTICE ROMANIA