Governance

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The General Assembly is the ultimate decision-making body of the European Partners against Corruption/European contact-point network against corruption (EPAC/EACN), bringing together all members. It convenes at least once a year and can also meet at the discretion of a decision between three among the President, two Vice Presidents and two Deputy Vice Presidents, or at the request of at least one third of its members.

The General Assembly’s mandate is to:

Determine the general policies of the network
Accept new members and observers
Suspend or expel members and observers who violate the general principles of the network
Elect and appoint persons to perform the functions set out in the Constitution
Suspend or dismiss persons from such functions
Establish working groups on specific issues and/or projects
Adopt declarations after conferences
Adopt and amend the Constitution (s)
Dissolve the network (s)

Decision-Making
The General Assembly strives to make decisions based on consensus. When consensus on issues such as the Constitution (s), the suspension and/or expulsion of members/observers, and on the dissolution of the network cannot be achieved, decisions are taken by a two-thirds majority. All other decisions are taken on the basis of a simple majority vote. In voting, the “one member – one vote” principle applies. In case there are more than five members per state, these members will come to an internal agreement with respect to their right to vote. If no internal agreement is achieved, then the principle of majority is implemented with only one vote being given. Observers and honorary members do not hold voting rights.

PRESIDENCY

The European Partners against Corruption/European contact-point network against corruption (EPAC/EACN) have one President, two Vice Presidents and two Deputy Vice Presidents. All are elected for a two year term by the General Assembly, with the possibility of re-election.

President

Linas Pernavas, Republic of Lithuania President (2023–present) Director of the Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Lithuania (STT)

Anti-Corruption Strand

Ernst Schmid, Austria Vice President ACA (2022–present) Head of Department, Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAK)

Traian Barlici, Romania Deputy Vice-President ACA (2022–present) Head of the Prevention Directorate in the Anti-corruption General Directorate (DGA)

Police Oversight Strand

Lucile Rolland, France Vice-President POB (2022–present) Deputy Head of the French National Police General Inspectorate

Hugh Hume, United Kingdom Deputy Vice-President POB (2022–present) Chief Executive for the office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

SECRETARIAT

The European Partners against Corruption/European contact-point network against corruption (EPAC/EACN) Secretariat is jointly hosted by the Lithuanian Special Investigation Service (STT) since 2022. The Austrian Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAK) served as Secretariat host from 2022-2024 together with STT; prior to that, the BAK and the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) in Laxenburg, Austria, shared this hosting responsibility.

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