CORRUPTION RISKS IN THE ACTIVITIES OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES: CONCEPTS, IDENTIFICATION, REMOVAL MEASURES

This article explores modern approaches to the definition of the concept of corruption risk. It is noted that the absence of a clear definition of the concept of «corruption risk» in the basic anti-corruption legal act, which regulates the legal and organizational framework for the functioning of the corruption prevention system in Ukraine, namely the Law of Ukraine «On the Prevention of Corruption», leads to: a variety of scientific approaches to understanding of this concept, in the formulation of the definition of which scientists and practitioners often ignore the need to take into account its relationship with the category «corruption factor», the content of which at the by-law level is narrowed, as well as modern studies on understanding the essential nature of the phenomenon of risk, its stages, types, methods of its quantitative measurement and other aspects of this phenomenon; low objectivity of assessing corruption risks in the activities of public authorities, in particular their poor-quality identification, taking into account the ambiguity of the interpretation of the concept under consideration. Based on the analysis of anti-corruption programs, orders of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention to refuse of approval (disapproval) of the anti-corruption program of the authority, in particular the justifications attached to them, analytical sources on the effectiveness of institutions in assessment of corruption risks and anti-corruption programs, the main reasons for the poor quality of assessment of corruption risks in the activities of public authorities are identified. It was concluded that in order to improve the quality and objectivity of the assessment of corruption risks, including their identification, it is necessary: firstly, to eliminate the gaps and shortcomings of the Corruption Risk Assessment Methodology, taking into account the proposals and recommendations of domestic and international experts on this issue; secondly, to provide special training (study) for entities conducting corruption risk assessment; thirdly, to actively involve representatives of civil society in the process of assessment of corruption risks and preparation of anti-corruption programs by the public authorities. The need to amend the Law of Ukraine «On the Prevention of Corruption» is justified.