“The active engagement of sub-national authorities is crucial for the success of national anti-corruption policies”, declared Vladimir Prebilič, Congress Spokesperson for Ethics and Prevention of Corruption on the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day celebrated on 9 December. Indeed, integrity and anti-corruption measures support local democracy, human rights and the rule of law, contributing to a better quality of life and trust in public institutions.

The Spokesperson further underlined that “municipalities and regional authorities are responsible for a variety of public services and should be committed to preventing corruption and promoting integrity, thus supporting sustainable economic and social development”. He pointed to the need of sustained efforts to streamline the culture of integrity, with adequate risk management, transparency and oversight, appropriate framework for conflicts of interests and effective enforcement mechanisms.

The monitoring of the European Charter of Local Self-Government carried out by the Congress contributes to enhance integrity and lower corruption. The Congress had adopted a series of thematic reports in this field, in particular on the code of conduct, risks of corruption, conditions of office and financial compensation of local and regional representatives, as well as on misuse of administrative resources during elections, transparent public procurement, conflicts of interest, transparency and open government, fighting nepotism and protection of whistleblowers. Moreover, the Congress has enhanced integrity standards for its own members and consistently supports integrity reforms through its technical cooperation activities.