EPAC/EACN Launches Best Anti-Corruption Practice Exchange Project

EPAC/EACN is a platform for members and observers to learn from each other and act together to further prevent and combat corruption phenomena in Europe. One of the main priorities that was included in the EPAC/EACN Work Programme 2022/2023 is to offer attractive and convenient forms for the transfer of knowledge and experience. EPAC/EACN Task force for Developing and Implementing Project Activities applied for and signed an EU grant agreement for funding study visits for the best practice exchange in fighting corruption and fraud. The Special Investigation Service (STT) of the Republic of Lithuania will implement the project, which provides EPAC/EACN members opportunities to learn from each other, and it will start this autumn.

To enhance the transfer of knowledge and experience, the best anti-corruption practice exchange project (BACPE) is about to launch. The two-year project will be divided into two parts. The first one will start with three topics: Whistle-blower protection, Asset recovery, Corruption risk assessment, and management. EPAC/EACN members willing to participate in the project and exchange their best practices through the study visit will have to nominate three employees with not less than 5 years of experience in the selected topic and to indicate an EPAC/EACN member which will be visited. The project will cover travel and accommodation expenses.

Registration for the first part of the project will start, and all instructions on how to participate will be presented to the EPAC/EACN members on 8th of May 2023. Candidates will be accepted on a “first-come, first-served” basis. However, since the project has a limited number of visits, applications with a free-form written consent from the chosen host authority to confirm its ability and willingness to host a visit will get priority. Furthermore, to ensure cross-border dissemination of anti-corruption practices and wider international cooperation opportunities, only one institution from one country under each topic will be able to participate in the exchange, and the same institution will be limited to up to two visits in total.

The second part of the project will offer three more topics for study visits: Anti-Corruption awareness raising, Criminal investigation of corruption and fraud, and Big Data analysis and will be implemented in 2024. Members will also be invited to register under the same conditions with a deadline announced in advance.

For each topic, eight institutions will be selected to participate, which means that 48 anti-corruption practice sharing visits over Europe will be conducted during the project, and 144 experts will have an opportunity to visit other EPAC/EACN members and be engaged in the anti-corruption practice sharing meetings.

The BACPE is funded by the European Union and the Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Lithuania (STT). The total value of the project is €135,355.00, of which €27,071 will be the contribution of the STT. The project is implemented by the STT.