EUBAM and Polish anti-corruption bureau formalize partnership

In Warsaw yesterday, EUBAM formalized its partnership with the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau of Poland (CBA) by signing a Joint Statement of Cooperation. It is the second time in recent months that the Mission has signed a statement of cooperation with an EU anti-corruption agency, following a signing with the Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Lithuania completed at EUBAM headquarters in Odessa in September.

The signing is further evidence of the Mission’s deepening commitment to supporting anti-corruption initiatives in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The signing was undertaken yesterday by the Head of EUBAM, Udo Burkholder, and the Head of the CBA, Mr Pawel Wojtunik.

The logic of the move is to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and best practice from EU agencies in order to enhance the effectiveness of EUBAM’s capacity-building support to its partners – the border guard and customs services, and other law-enforcement agencies, of Moldova and Ukraine. This is also consistent with EUBAM’s overall objective: to support its partners in the approximation of their border-management procedures to EU standards.

“We believe that by building on the work already carried out by EUBAM and by transferring the successful practices adopted by the Polish Central Anti-Corruption Bureau we will significantly contribute to enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of efforts to fight corruption,” said Mr Burkholder. “Our ultimate aim is alignment with EU standards of good governance.”

It is envisaged that the Polish agency will provide trainers for EUBAM anti-corruption training events in areas such as corruption prevention, investigation and education. The experience of both Polish and Lithuanian services, as relatively new EU members and having undergone significant democratic reform, will prove particularly instructive.