NTA Webinar on the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions

The NTA, in cooperation with the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organized on 15, December an informative webinar on: "The OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and the recent evaluation of Greece".
During the workshop, the provisions of the Convention were presented, as well as the recommendations addressed to Greece during its recent OECD evaluation. In addition, representatives of the Greek public administration and judicial authorities referred to the application of the Convention’s provisions and their importance for the strengthening of public integrity and the healthy development of export entrepreneurship.
The conference was welcomed by Mr George Pagoulatos, Ambassador of Greece to the OECD and Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business, Ambassador Pantelis Alexandros Dimitrakopoulos, Director of Strategic and Operational Planning of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr George Kasapas, Head of the Strategic Planning and International Relations Department of NTA.
Mr Pagoulatos referred to the impact of corruption on society and the economy and to the mechanisms established by the OECD to monitor and evaluate national anti-corruption frameworks, based on the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.
Mr Dimitrakopoulos expressed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ full support for the cooperation with the NTA, with the aim of raising awareness and informing the Diplomatic Corps, recognizing the key role of embassy and consulate staff in identifying cases of corruption involving Greeks and companies of Greek interests.
Mr Kasapas highlighted the importance that the National Transparency Authority attaches to international good practices and recommendations concerning the country (Greece), which are taken into account in the planning and implementation of the Authority's interventions in the field of public integrity. He also added that actions that contribute to the proper implementation of the OECD Convention have been included in the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) 2022-2025, which is also the country's comprehensive policy framework for strengthening public integrity.
The presentations’ section was opened by Mrs Maria Gavouneli, Professor of Law School at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Member of NTA Management Board and National Representative in the Anti-Bribery Working Group on Bribery (WGB) in International Business Transactions of the OECD who reported on the content of the OECD Convention (on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions), with particular emphasis on the ability of diplomatic officials to assist in the detection of cases of corruption.
In the topic "The key role of the Prosecutor of Economic Crime in the detection and investigation of cases of bribery of foreign public officials - Cooperation with other authorities", Ms Eleni Papadopoulou, Prosecutor of the Athens First Instance Court and former Assistant Prosecutor of Economic Crime, presented the regulatory framework governing the Financial Crime Prosecutor's Office and referred to the possibilities of cooperation with other authorities for the effective detection of cases of bribery of foreign public officials.
Mr Apostolos Michalopoulos, Director of Extroversion Planning and Coordination of Extroversion Bodies of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, in the thematic area "Recent initiatives towards the implementation of the recommendations", referred to the systematic information provided by the Central Service of the Ministry to the embassy staff.
In the same context, Mr Anastasios Kantianis, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' General Directorate for Development and Humanitarian Aid, referred to Ministry’s recent legislative interventions that contribute to the creation of a preventive and repressive control framework, including the crime of bribery of foreign public officials.
Dr. Anastasia Sotiropoulou, Special Legal Counsel to the NTA Interim Governor, then took the floor, who referred to the initiatives taken by the NTA to coordinate the response of the competent bodies to the OECD recommendations and the awareness-raising actions it implements to inform public and private sector executives.
Finally, Dr. Dimitra Anagnostopoulou, Legal Counsel at "Enterprise Greece", referred to the impact of the lack of transparency and integrity on the productivity and economic development of countries and pointed out that for the continuation of the country's upward trend in terms of direct investments and exports, the existence of anti-corruption mechanisms is important.
You can watch the entire debate at the link below:
https://youtu.be/W8X8sKLgpz4