The High Authority shares its expertise on a TAEIX mission in North Macedonia and at the International Bar Association’s conference in Bulgaria

On 22 and 23 November 2023, Jordane Mathieu, Head of the Legal and Ethics Department of the High Authority, and Jeanne Ollivier, International Relations Officer, took part in a TAIEX expert mission.in Skopje in Northern Macedonia.

TAIEX is the European Commission’s technical assistance and information exchange instrument. It is designed to support public administrations in the implementation of European Union legislation, as well as facilitating the sharing of best practices through workshops, expert missions and study visits.

The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (CPC) of North Macedonia requested the High Authority’s expertise on the implementation of the legislative framework for the prevention of corruption, with a particular focus on methods for resolving conflicts of interest. During this expert mission, the CPC outlined the main deficiencies in the implementation of the law on prevention of corruption which is being reviewed by the Macedonian Parliament. The CPC is considering possible legislative changes to enhance the effectiveness of its actions.

The exchanges provided an opportunity to share the High Authority’s experience in identifying conflicts of interest and in implementing the French legislative framework for preventing corruption. The awareness-raising and training initiatives carried out by the High Authority were also discussed. In addition, recommendations were formulated to address the main difficulties raised by the CPC in implementing the provisions governing conflicts of interest in North Macedonia.

This expert mission is an important step in the close collaboration between the High Authority and the CPC, whose delegation was welcomed in Paris on 23 May2023. In November 2022, the High Authority was also invited to take part in a regional seminar in Skopje, organised by the French Embassy in North Macedonia and attended by Biljana Ivanovska, President of the CPC.

In parallel to this expert mission, Marie Lintzer, Head of International Partnerships at the High Authority, participated in Sofia, Bulgaria in the annual International Bar Association’s (IBA) conference on the fight against corruption organised by the IBA and the French Embassy in Bulgaria. She presented the missions of the High Authority alongside the French Anti-Corruption Agency and the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office in order to provide an overview of the French anti-corruption system.