On 12 September 2018, GRECO placed Denmark in its non-compliance procedure, due to the lack of sufficient measures taken to prevent corruption in respect of MPs and the judiciary. The report classified the situation as “globally unsatisfactory”. From the six recommendations issued in the fourth evaluation round in 2014 (see eucrim 2/2014, p. 58); only one recommendation was implemented satisfactorily, four were partially implemented, and one had not been implemented at all. Despite the perception of the country being one of the least corrupt countries in Europe, GRECO stressed the need for concrete action in preventing and combating corruption.

As regards MPs, the report recommends establishing, effectively enforcing, and applying a code of conduct. In addition, ad hoc reporting of conflicts of interest should be reported as soon as they arise. Practical guidance in the form of training and counseling should be available to complement the measures.

As regards the code of ethics of the judiciary, it still needs to be accompanied by practical guidance in order to clarify the standards expected of judges, including in practical situations. A summary of the report was presented in a press release by GRECO.