Legal regulation of integrity checks and lifestyle monitoring of officials of the customs authorities of Ukraine

The article examines the legal regulation of integrity checks and lifestyle monitoring of officials of Ukraine’s customs authorities. The author focuses on regulatory gaps in this area, which may lead to legal uncertainty and a decrease in the effectiveness of anti-corruption measures. Issues related to the compliance of officials’ living standards with their declared income, conflicts of interest, illicit enrichment, and unjustified assets are analyzed. Problems in coordinating the interaction procedures between customs and anti-corruption bodies have been identified. Particular attention is paid to the discussion of defining integrity criteria and their measurement. It is established that traditional quantitative indicators (such as the amount of property and financial assets) are insufficient for assessing integrity, as integrity is an absolute characteristic of an official’s behavior. The issue of confidentiality of inspection materials and the risks of abuse during their implementation, particularly the use of monitoring mechanisms to discredit honest officials, is also explored. Based on an analysis of international experience, particularly the practices of North Macedonia and the EU, several recommendations for improving national legislation are proposed. The main proposals include: 1) the development of unified criteria and methodology for assessing integrity; 2) the improvement of integrity checks and monitoring procedures; 3) ensuring effective mechanisms for responding to identified violations; 4) harmonizing national regulations with international standards. The introduction of an integrity declaration for customs officials, which would be submitted annually and stored in a unified electronic registry, is proposed. The mechanisms for lifestyle monitoring are defined, including the analysis of declarations, automated verification of financial transactions, monitoring of open data sources, and public oversight. To prevent abuses in the monitoring process, mechanisms for independent control, accountability for initiating politically or administratively motivated inspections, and measures to counter information campaigns aimed at discrediting officials are proposed. The introduction of clear procedures and safeguards will contribute to preserving the integrity of the customs administration’s personnel and increasing trust in anti-corruption measures within customs authorities.