European Commission and Transparency International join forces for better spending of EU investments
Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu will launch today in Berlin a joint pilot project "Integrity Pacts" (IP) together with Transparency International (TI) to ensure EU funds are spent well to the real benefit of the people. This is one in a series of new actions the Commission is taking to help Member States, regions and cities effectively manage EU investments.
The Integrity Pact was developed by Transparency International to support governments, businesses and civil society to improve trust and transparency in public procurement. The Commission now aims to pilot Integrity Pacts for several EU co-funded projects by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Cohesion Fund.
Commissioner for Regional Policy Cretu said ”Our funds are an important source of public investment for many of the EU Member States. Countries should use the investments well so that citizens reap the benefits of these programmes and projects. Strengthening local and regional administrations is a critical part of this effort and I have identified this as a personal priority for action. The Integrity Pacts, one among many new initiatives we are currently offering, will promote a greater openness and responsibility in the management of the funds. It will also reduce costs by increasing the efficiency of public administrations."
Miklos Marschall, Deputy Managing Director of Transparency International added “By increasing transparency and accountability, enhancing trust, contributing to the reputation of contracting authorities, bringing down costs and improving competition through better procurement, Integrity Pacts can play an important role in safeguarding EU funds against fraud and corruption.”
An Integrity Pact will be a legally-binding agreement between the contracting authority and the companies bidding for the public contracts that they will follow a transparent and efficient procurement process. To ensure greater accountability, those Integrity Pacts will include a monitoring system led by a civil society organization.
Member States are strongly encouraged to make use of this initiative following a call for expressions of interest to be launched in May 2015. On 5 May, Transparency International is also organising a conference in Brussels to promote the Integrity Pacts. The experiences of these pilot projects will then be shared and disseminated among the public authorities across Europe.
Background information
Integrity Pacts are a tool developed by Transparency International during the 1990s to help governments, businesses and civil society committed to fighting corruption in the field of public procurement. It has been implemented on the ground across the globe.
Integrity Pacts promote cost efficiency and good governance, and can also encourage institutional changes, such as the increased use of e-procurement systems, simplified administrative procedures, improvements of regulatory environments and promotion of good governance.
The overall project for safeguarding EU funds is split into two phases. The first phase started on 1st January 2015 and will run for 9 months. This is the initial preparatory phase to secure participation of national authorities and civil society organisations in different EU Member States, and to identify potential projects for Integrity Pact implementation. The project will also develop a monitoring mechanism to evaluate the effectiveness of the Integrity Pacts in enhancing transparency and accountability.
Transparency International with more than 100 national chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin has become the leading civil society organisation fighting corruption with significant expertise and experience in designing applied research tools, conducting evidence-based policy and advocacy initiatives, and coordinating complex multi-country projects.
More information:
For any press enquiries please contact
Jakub ADAMOWICZ
[email protected]
(+32 460 75 05 95)
Sophie DUPIN de SAINT-CYR
[email protected]
(+32 460 76 43 07)
