International Cooperation

BAK at EU Network against Corruption

On 15 October 2025, the European Commission hosted the third plenary meeting of the EU Network against Corruption in Brussels. The main topic was strengthening the link between integrity, transparency and competitiveness. A delegation from the Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAK) was represented at the event.

Discussions focused in particular on the link between integrity, transparency and competitiveness – an approach that will give even greater importance to the prevention of corruption in the future in terms of competitiveness and thus the economic interests of the European Union.

Studies show that public procurement remains a high-risk area. Although transparency and data quality are improving, single-bid procedures are on the rise. France presented a model designed to motivate companies to introduce compliance and prevention measures. In addition to providing better protection against economic risks, such programmes also change corporate culture and image, and increase competitiveness and opportunities in public tenders.

In this context, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) emphasised its approach of ‘competitiveness through integrity’ and recommended effective sanctions and prosecution of legal entities, improved whistleblower protection, and a risk-based approach in national anti-corruption strategies.

In discussions with representatives of the European Commission, certain instruments were highlighted in this context, such as the Rule of Law Report, the planned EU Anti-Corruption Directive and the EU Anti-Corruption Strategy.

Good practices and education

The European Commission presented the new ‘Handbook of Good Practices in the Fight against Corruption’. The handbook provides a comprehensive overview of good practices in eight areas – from transparency and citizen participation to conflict of interest management, investigations and integrity promotion.

A particular highlight was the Portuguese ‘Integrity Bootcamps’ for schoolchildren and teachers, which aim to raise awareness of integrity and democracy at an early age.

Research and innovation

Staff members from anti-corruption research projects were also represented. These included projects such as FALCON (Fight Against Large-scale Corruption and Organised Crime Networks), POSEIDON, a project to combat corruption and crime in ports, and BridgeGap, a project that seeks to gain a deeper understanding of corruption from an interdisciplinary perspective in order to close knowledge gaps in this area.

In addition to the EU institutions, international organisations and partners were also represented, including GRECO (Group of States against Corruption), UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) and Transparency International.