On December 1-2 the 20th anniversary Annual Conference and General Assembly of the European Partners against Corruption and European contact-point network against corruption (EPAC/EACN) took place in Vilnius. During the event, Vilnius Declaration was adopted and a new EPAC/EACN Board was elected with its new President – Mr Žydrūnas Bartkus, Director of the Special Investigation Service of the Republic of Lithuania (STT).
The EPAC/EACN annual conference was held in Lithuania for the first time and was organised by the STT. About 120 participants from 54 institutions and 30 different countries (Lithuania, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, etc.) took part in the event, which was held in hybrid format (onsite in Vilnius and remotely). Presentations were made by representatives of the European Commission's DG Home, the European Public Prosecutor's Office, OECD and national anti-corruption and police oversight institutions.
Representatives from international organisations, law enforcement agencies and the EPAC/EACN network also sought to “re-think corruption” and discussed the concept of corruption and the role that anti-corruption activities should play in the priorities of a Western democracy, during one of the panel discussions of the conference.
At the Conference and General Assembly a new EPAC/EACN Board was elected:
- President of the EPAC/EACN: Mr Žydrūnas Bartkus, Director of the Lithuanian STT.
- EPAC/EACN Vice-Presidents: Mr Ernst Schmid, Acting Head of Department, the Federal Bureau of Anti-Corruption (BAK) under the Austrian Ministry of the Interior (anti-corruption strand) and Ms Lucile Rolland, Deputy Head of the French National Police General Inspectorate (police oversight strand).
- EPAC/EACN Deputy Vice-Presidents: Mr Traian Mihăiţă Bârlici, Head of the Prevention Directorate in the Anti-Corruption General Directorate (DGA) under the Romanian Ministry of the Interior (anti-corruption strand), and Mr Hugh Hume, Commissioner of the Irish Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (police oversight strand).
"I am grateful to international partners for their trust in Lithuania and Special Investigation Service, providing the opportunity to represent the largest and oldest European network of anti-corruption authorities and police oversight bodies (EPAC/EACN). European partners agree that corruption remains one of the threats to national security and that an effective fight against it requires a systemic response. I believe that with joint efforts we will be able to agree on strategic goals in the field of anti-corruption across Europe and act purposefully to achieve even higher standards of integrity and transparency” said Žydrūnas Bartkus, the new President of EPAC/EACN.
Žydrūnas Bartkus, STT Director, the new President of EPAC/EACN
During the EPAC/EACN Annual Conference and the General Assembly, the Vilnius Declaration was signed as well. It is the final document of the conference, which addresses the members of the network, i.e. anti-corruption and police oversight bodies, as well as European national governments, European Union institutions and international organisations with proposed actions to strengthen anti-corruption commitments.
Among other events of the Conference, the EPAC/EACN awards were presented to the most innovative anti-corruption initiative. This year's award was won by the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) for its regional campaign on whistleblowing "Break the Silence: Whistle for the end".
The EPAC/EACN network has increased by two additional members – the Slovak National Security Authority (NBU) and the French Central Office for the Fight against Corruption, Financial and Tax Offences (OCLCIFF), which requests for membership were approved during the General Assembly.
Vilnius Declaration
The aim of the EPAC/EACN network is to strengthen cooperation in the exchange of good practice in the fight against corruption and police oversight. In total, 100 anti-corruption and police oversight bodies from 38 European countries are members of EPAC and / or EACN. In 2020-2021, Ms Monique Stirn, Inspector General of Police of the Luxembourg Ministry of Internal Security, served as Acting President of the EPAC/EACN.
