International Cooperation
The BAK’s tasks in the field of international cooperation
The Federal Law on the Establishment and Organization of the Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption, which entered into force on 1 January 2010, defines the BAK’s function and tasks in the field of international cooperation. Accordingly, the Federal Bureau serves as the national point of contact for OLAF, Interpol, Europol and other international and European institutions, and acts as an interface with comparable public departments, authorities and networks of other countries.
Other essential bases for the Federal Bureau’s international activities are the legal requirements arising from the ratification of international conventions and resolutions such as the UN Convention against Corruption or the anti-corruption conventions of the Council of Europe . The BAK’s Department 2 is involved in regular meetings and respective evaluation mechanisms in the context of the implementation of international instruments.
The BAK is a member of important anti-corruption networks, such as the European Partners Against Corruption (EPAC) and the European Contact-Point Network Against Corruption (EACN) – two networks of which the BAK is a founding member. Furthermore, the Federal Bureau participates in Interpol’s Global Focal Point Platform, the Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative (StAR) of UNODC and the World Bank, as well as the OAFCN network of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). These networks and their activities successfully contribute to improving international cooperation and promoting the exchange of best practices.
The BAK’s direct cooperation with foreign authorities in the form of work meetings, study visits or secondments is based on police cooperation agreements, bi- and multilateral agreements as well as European and international law. The conclusion of bilateral agreements, e.g. memoranda of understanding, facilitates the exchange of information and fosters cooperation in various fields related to preventing and combating corruption.
Finally, the BAK, financially supported by the EU, also initiates and coordinates Europe-wide projects, such as the “European Anti-Corruption Training” (EACT), held from 2011 to 2013, or the "Siena for Anti-Corruption Authorities" (S4ACA) project, which is running from 2014 to 2016.