The Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) held a dedicated side event on 20 November 2025 in Strasbourg, organised in cooperation with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, to advance dialogue on integrity and accountability at the sub-national level.
Held on the margins of GRECO's 101st plenary meeting, the event (Strenghtening Good Governance: Consolidating Integrity and Accountabiltiy at the Sub-National Level) brought together GRECO national delegates, Congress representatives, local and regional officials, international experts, civil society and youth delegates.
Discussions centred on operationalising integrity frameworks for municipalities and regions as GRECO moves into its 6th Evaluation Round. Building on insights from previous evaluation rounds and relevant international standards, participants examined topics including transparent decision-making, management of conflicts of interest, public procurement safeguards, asset and interest declarations, interactions with third parties and lobbying, whistleblower protection and access to information. They also considered how risk-based integrity strategies, ethics and training arrangements, as well as effective complaint-handling and oversight mechanisms can be tailored to local realities.
The programme combined scene-setting contributions with three thematic sessions. The first explored the relevance of GRECO’s findings to sub-national authorities and highlighted Congress tools supporting transparency, public ethics and citizen participation. The second addressed synergies between GRECO’s monitoring and the Congress’ standards and cooperation activities, showcasing practical examples from local authorities. The final session underlined the importance of civil society partnerships and the role of youth in promoting integrity at the local and regional levels. The event underscored the importance of coordinated action across levels of government and sustained cooperation between GRECO, member States, the Congress and local stakeholders to reinforce prevention of corruption closest to citizens.
The event underscored the need for coordinated action across all levels of government and reinforced the value of sustained cooperation between GRECO, member States, the Congress and local stakeholders in strengthening corruption prevention closest to citizens.
