In 2011 TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL-Bulgaria completed a 16-month research project on the regulation of limitation periods in the EU. The research project aimed to find out whether the existing limitation periods for corruption offenses in the EU formed an obstacle for effective implementation of anti-corruption laws and to identify ways to overcome them. The main focus of the research was:
- Provision of an overview of the specific rules and specific periods of limitation terms applicable to corruption offenses;
- Identification of good practices and weaknesses in the application of limitation terms in corruption cases;
- Preparation of recommendations on addressing the weaknesses in the application of limitation terms.
Comparative-legal research, legal analysis of national legislation and sociological research were conducted during the project implementation.
Two publications on the topic – a national report, as well as a common regional report entitled “The Importance of Limitation terms for Prevention and Combating of corruption in the Member States of the European Union” were issued.