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Ref. CG-006 (2017)

The Congress of the Council of Europe and the European Committee of the Regions jointly committed to combat corruption at local and regional level

Brussels, 28.02.2017 - On 28 February 2017, the European Committee of the Regions and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe hosted a joint conference to address the challenges faced in implementing anti-corruption strategies and to showcase good practices and the benefits of cooperation at sub-national level. 

Corruption remains a major threat to governance and democracy in Europe and undermines the confidence of citizens in democratic institutions, while public awareness of the risks and scale of corruption in local and regional public life grows.

The fight against corruption, in all its forms, needs to remain a long-term priority for local and regional governments and concerted preventive action is paramount in order to foster economic growth as well as regain citizens’ trust.

With increased decentralisation, local and regional authorities have substantial responsibilities for public spending and the management of resources. However, although their budgets and competences have increased, adequate control mechanisms to reduce the risks of abuse are still lacking.

The Congress, by adopting a “Roadmap of activities for preventing corruption and promoting public ethics at local and regional levels”, has taken up the corruption issue and is preparing several reports on corruption and transparency related themes, the revision and update of the 1999 “European Code of Conduct on the political integrity of local and regional representatives” and the strengthening of its cooperation activities to strengthen the capacities of local and regional authorities by promoting good governance, transparency, accountability and ethical behaviour in Council of Europe member states, including EaP countries.

The Committee of the Regions and the Congress are fully and jointly engaged in the fight against corruption. They are committed to increasing their cooperation and work together to prevent corruption and promote public ethics and good governance at local and regional levels and to support local and regional elected officials in their respective member states in this work.L

Programme
Web file

Contact:
Secretariat of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Tim Lisney – [email protected] - Tel: +33 3 88 41 35 73

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

Planning, Coordination and institutional Communication Unit

Tel: +33 (0)3 90 21 48 95

Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 27 51

[email protected]

www.coe.int/congress

The Congress has two chambers, the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions. It brings together 324 full and 324 substitute members representing more than 200 000 European territorial communities.

President of the Congress: Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Anders Knape (Sweden, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Gunn Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP-CCE)

Political Groups: Socialist Group (SOC), Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CCE), Independent and Liberal Democrat Group (ILDG), European Conservatives & Reformists Group  (ECR)