International

BAK at 24th EPAC/EACN Annual Conference in The Hague

The 24th Annual Conference and General Assembly of European Partners against Corruption (EPAC) and European contact-point network against corruption (EACN) took place in The Hague, Netherlands on 24 and 25 November 2025. The Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAK) was represented at a high level.

The conference was organised in cooperation with Eurojust (European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation). The main topics were greater institutional independence, enhanced cooperation and renewed efforts to prevent and combat corruption in Europe. Over 150 participants from almost 80 institutions in more than 30 countries attended the event. These included representatives of the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, Europol, Eurojust, OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office) and anti-corruption authorities and police oversight bodies from various European countries. BAK Director Otto Kerbl and BAK Head of Department 1 and EPAC/EACN Vice-President Ernst Schmid were present as representatives of BAK.

The conference focused primarily on strengthening cooperation between anti-corruption and police oversight bodies, sharing experience, and tackling current challenges in promoting integrity and transparency. Discussions covered key topics such as measuring and preventing corruption, transparency in public procurement, innovations in anti-corruption practice, education and awareness-raising, and building resilient institutions.

YOUTH4Integrity

During a breakout session, BAK Director Otto Kerbl presented the BAK's extensive corruption prevention measures, particularly in the field of education. Under the title YOUTH4Integrity, BAK brings together various initiatives designed to prevent corruption in the long term, targeting children, teenagers and young adults. These range from anti-corruption events in schools to tailor-made teaching materials and teach-the-teacher concepts. The BAK photo competition was also a YOUTH4Integrity initiative designed to introduce school students to the issues of corruption and integrity in a creative way.

Corruption situation reports

The event also featured a presentation of the findings of the working group on ‘Effective Approaches to Developing Situation Reports on Corruption’, which consisted of around 30 participants from various anti-corruption agencies and international organisations and met at BAK on 24 and 25 April 2025. The working group focused on developing structured guidelines for producing high-quality, reliable and actionable situation reports. Results have been summarised in a publication which provides comprehensive guidance on developing standardised corruption situation reports to promote transparency.

The Hague Declaration

The conference's final document reaffirmed the joint commitment of European anti-corruption authorities and police oversight bodies to integrity, transparency and the rule of law. It calls for greater institutional independence, professional standards and international cooperation in the fight against corruption and the maintenance of accountability. It calls on states to ensure adequate resources, open data transparency and protection for prosecutors and investigators. The declaration also invites EU institutions and international organisations to strengthen common anti-corruption standards, provide technical assistance and promote coherent, coordinated global efforts.

EPAC/EACN Award 2025

During the conference, participants voted on various initiatives that underscore the network's joint commitment to supporting practical, effective anti-corruption and police oversight solutions. This year, the EPAC/EACN Award 2025 went to the Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Lithuania for its initiative ‘Strategic Anti-Corruption Guidelines for the Cabinet of Ministers (SAG)’. BAK had submitted the BAK photo competition for this award.