The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has also stressed the need for effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions for serious violations of political and electoral finance rules, as well as the importance of criminal or strong administrative liability where infringements are systemic, involve organised structures, or undermine the integrity of democratic processes. In its Guidelines for Reviewing a Legal Framework for Elections, the ODIHR notes that “not only must there be mechanisms for effective remedies to protect electoral rights, but there should also be sufficient criminal or administrative penalties to deter violations of the law and prevent injury to suffrage rights. However, care must be taken not to create a system where politically motivated and unsubstantiated charges are prosecuted against opponents. Further, all sanctions and penalties should be proportionate punishment for the conduct that resulted in the harm”.