The GONG NGO has warned that the new conflict of interest law, currently under public consultation, will make the Conflict of Interest Commission meaningless because it does not include provisions to ensure compliance with the principles of holding public office.

“Under the new bill the Commission, as an important anti-corruption body the establishment of which was one of the conditions for Croatia’s accession to the European Union, will not be able to perform its primary functions,” GONG said in a press release on Monday.

GONG claims that the bill, which is under public consultation until 5 November, will make it impossible for the Commission to prevent a conflict of interest or to ensure that state and public officials respect the principles of honourable, fair, conscientious, responsible and impartial performance of duties according to the applicable law.

The proposed bill does not include provisions that would strengthen the Commission and ensure the implementation of the principles of holding public office, which is something that GONG proposed as a member of the task force.

“What is more, the existing provisions have been weakened,” GONG said and warned that the Commission would be left without one of its key tools and would be practically stripped of its powers in defining whether officials acted ethically or “honourably, fairly, conscientiously, responsibly and impartially, maintaining their own credibility and the dignity and trust of citizens.”

GONG concluded that the new law would make the Commission a mere administrative body whose main task would be to examine declarations of assets.