On 24 June 2019, within the framework of the project “Protection of the Rights of Entrepreneurs in the Russian Federation from Corrupt Practices at the Municipal Level” – PRECOP II, the Council of Europe organised a training on “Implementation of mechanism of confidential reporting corruption by entrepreneurs” in Petrozavodsk, Russian Federation. This was the first activity in a series of trainings aimed at strengthening the capacities of the Regional Business Ombudspersons with regard to the institutions’ ability to effectively take forward entrepreneurs’ complaints about corruption.

The training was a combination of presentations, classroom discussions and group work on practical exercises and case studies. It allowed the participants to better familiarise themselves with the legislative framework in the Russian Federation on corruption reporting, along with international instruments and good practices as well as to obtain practical knowledge on the process of application of the mechanism for confidential reporting of corruption by entrepreneurs developed by the project in close consultation and cooperation with beneficiaries and key stakeholders.

The training was attended by over 35 representatives of the Federal and Regional Business Ombudspersons’ offices from the project’s six pilot regions – Republic of Karelia (the host region of the activity), Stavropol Krai, Republic of Tatarstan, Republic of Bashkortostan, Kursk and Arkhangelsk regions as well as the representatives of regional authorities, business and civil society organizations of the Republic of Karelia, including representatives of regional Prosecutor’s office, Ministry of Economic Development and Industry, and Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Karelia. The training was also attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation.