1. Regional Round table on Strengthening Integrity in State Authorities & Electoral Processes in All Countries. (Budva Montenegro 16 – 17 April 2019)
Special Agency audit committee
Dpt. : Control of revenues & expenses of POLITICAL parties – coalition of parties , candidates for the Hellenic & the European parliament.
Athens – Greece

2. Law 3023/2002 (updated) Contents – key points :
Constitution of Independent Audit Committee (Chaired by the chairman of the permanent standing committee on institutions and transparency of the Hellenic Parliament & members high ranking judges)
Regulated entities (Political parties, coalition of parties, members of the Hellenic Parliament & Greek representatives in the European Parliament, candidates for the Hellenic & the European parliament, e.t.c.)
Methods and limitations of the funding (public and private) for political parties – coalition of parties, candidates, elected members during the electoral period or their term .
Prohibitions for political parties – coalition of parties, candidates during the electoral period, included maximum amount of electoral expenditures, members of Parliament.
Control of the records, documents, revenues, expenses and any kind of data the audit committee ratifies for the audit.
Maintenance & administration of an official web site with free access to the public.

3. Political parties – coalition of parties (1)
All income and expenses move through one to three bank accounts kept in three credit institutions (other bank accounts are prohibited)
The expenses mentioned above are proved by receipts, invoices, bank checks e.t.c. (Exceptionally each political party may make payments to third parties without using the bank accounts up to Euros per year providing all the necessary financial documents)
The bank accounts must be referred to the audit committee within 10 days from their opening.
Private funding to political parties – coalition of parties must be made through the bank accounts in particular those that exceed the amount of 500 Euros and at all cases the funding must be offered from a natural person who can be identified.
Funding and any kind of contribution to political parties – coalition of parties is prohibited if there are from :
- natural persons not being Creek nationals
- Public or private law legal entities
- Local government organizations of any degree
- natural persons owners or publishers of daily or periodical matter, nationally or locally circulation, or owners of radio & tv stations.

4. Political parties – coalition of parties (2)
Private funding of a political party or coalition of parties by the same person, during the same year, must not exceed Euros
Any kind of state funding and financial contribution is prohibited and suspended in case of prosecution and temporary detention against the leader or the president of the parliamentary group or the person that is actually in charge of the political party for the crimes of article 187 & 187A of the Hellenic Penal Code (establishment criminal organization, terrorist acts)
Maximum amount of electoral expenditure spent by each political party and coalitions of parties is equal to 20% of the totally most recent regular state funding given.
The management of the finance of a political party or coalition of parties pertains to the bodies provided by the statutes of them. These bodies and their members are notified to the Audit Committee by January 31th each year. During the year any changes must be notified also.
Parties or coalition of parties are obliged to keep C category record where they register every income or expenses by category and separately for each year.

5. Candidates – elected members of the Hellenic and the European Parliament(1)
All income and expenses move through a single bank account. (Exceptionally and only for the pre – election period candidates are allowed to make payments to third parties without using this bank account up to 500 Euros totally)
The expenses mentioned above are proved by receipts, invoices, bank checks e.t.c. All income ends up exclusively to this bank account. (with clearly confirmation of the sponsor)
The bank account must be opened within 10 days from the submission of the candidacy and notified to the audit committee on the same day. (Any other bank accounts of each candidate are also notified to the audit committee)
Funding to candidates – elected members of the Hellenic and the European Parliament must be made through the unique bank account and the funding must being offered from a natural person who can be identified.
Funding and any kind of contribution to candidates – elected members of the Hellenic and the European Parliament is prohibited if there are from :
- natural persons not being Creek nationals
- Public or private law legal entities
- Local government organizations of any degree
- natural persons owners or publishers of daily or periodical matter, nationally or locally circulation, or owners of radio & tv stations.

6. Candidates – elected members of the Hellenic and the European Parliament(2)
Private funding of a candidate – elected member of the Hellenic and the European Parliament by each person, during the same year, must not exceed Euros
Maximum amount of electoral expenditure spent by a candidate, during the pre- election period either for the Hellenic or the European parliament is Euros multiplied by a factor for each electoral region.
The management of the finance of a candidate – elected member of the Hellenic and the European Parliament is their responsibility.
Sanctions imposed upon candidates – elected members of the Hellenic and the European Parliament , political parties – coalition of parties
Sanctions are specifically predicted in the law either for candidates – elected members of the Hellenic and the European parliament or for the political parties – coalition of parties and they can reach up to 50% of the annual parliamentary compensation for the members of the parliament or even their removal from the parliamentary office and up to Euros for the political parties – coalition of parties or up to 50% of the latest regular or electoral state funding to the political party. The sanctions depends on the nature and the kind of the violations.

7. Publications to the web site of the audit committee
State funding received by each recipient (political parties – coalition of parties)
List of loans received from all banks and any kind of financial assistance to political parties – coalition of parties
Full details of each sponsor funding candidates or members of the Hellenic or the European parliament, if funding exceeds Euros per year.
Full details of each sponsor funding political parties – coalition of parties, if funding exceeds Euros per year.
The balance sheets, statements of accounts of political parties – coalition of parties, together with the audit results.
The reasoned findings of the audits, included the opinion of the minority.
The electoral expenses and income of political parties – coalition of parties.
Regulatory documents, degrees, reports consultations and information.

8. Conclusions – latest acts
We believe that the current domestic law, with all the amendments that have taken place between 2002 that it came in force, and now, it is giving the local authorities (audit committee) a full and specific tool in order to enchase transparency in the funding - expenses of candidatures, elected public officers and the funding – expenses of political parties – coalition of parties. Improvements can always be made and currently the department “ Control of revenues & expenses of parties – coalition of parties , candidates for the Hellenic parliament & Greek representatives for the European parliament” that supports the work of the audit committee is developing an IT platform (web service) in order to receive all the information - notifications either from the political parties – coalition of parties or the candidates, elected members in pubic office (MPs, Greek members of the European parliament) electronically. The Dpt is scheduling that this IT platform is going to be in partial function before the elections for the European parliament and in full function before the scheduled national elections in Greece. (October 2019) This IT platform will also improve the knowledge of the citizens and any other interested entity, enchase the transparency, for the finances of parties, candidates and public officers.

9. Knowledge Transparency
Public
Regulated entities
IT platform
Audit Committee
Published information

10. Thank you for your attention Stylianos Michalas
HELLENIC PARLIAMENT
Thank you for your attention Stylianos Michalas