On 22 February 2019, GRECO published its fifth round evaluation report on The Netherlands, which calls upon the Dutch authorities to further intensify corruption prevention measures, both in top executive functions and vis-à-vis members of law enforcement agencies.

GRECO notes that the integrity of the country’s government is based mainly on political accountability. This needs to be complemented by a clear integrity strategy vis-à-vis managers − based on risk analysis −, however, to better avoid conflicts of interest and thus potential corruption.

GRECO recommends establishing a code of conduct for top executives/officials, including measures for its implementation and enforcement as well as introducing rules for lobbying and post-employment functions. Top executives should be required to report conflicts of interest on an ad hoc basis and to declare personal assets at regular intervals.

As regards police authorities, the report recognises a strong commitment towards integrity and a high level of public trust. Nevertheless, there have been breaches of integrity, e.g., information leaks and links to organised criminal groups.

Lastly, GRECO recommends improving the existing codes of conduct for both law enforcement authorities and training systems, with particular attention to ensuring the use of confidential information and the declaration of financial interests by officials holding particularly sensitive posts. In addition, officials should report all forms of corruption-related misconduct within the service, not only those classified as criminal offences.