The Special Investigation Service (STT), after completing the EU-financed project "Multidisciplinary approach and regional cooperation in combatting corruption and fraud affecting EU financial interests", is launching a publication that provides a structured overview of two international seminars.
Fast-changing criminogenic environment, accompanied by constantly emerging new risks and more complex schemes of fraud, corruption, abuse of power and their modus operandi, is binding STT and its partners to be vigilant and always take one step forward in order to tackle the fraud and corruption effectively. That presupposes the need to update and improve their prevention, detection, investigation abilities constantly. The information exchange, the share of best practices and inter-departmental and institutional cooperation are essential elements in achieving this goal.
“Countries of Baltic region – Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland – similarly, to other countries, are facing risks of the EU funding being misappropriated or otherwise wasted, including due to corruption. The risk is difficult to manage when the EU funding is used for implementation of major regional projects (such as for transport infrastructure) or when the projects are implemented by foreign contractors, due to their complexity and differences in jurisdictions. In order to step up efforts in fighting corruption and fraud affecting EU financial interests, it is crucial to improve the regional cooperation and to strengthen multidisciplinary approach by involving together the criminal intelligence, pre-trial investigation, preventive and administrative bodies. It is necessary to reinforce cooperation on strategic and tactical levels, to ensure sharing of information and best practices, to implement joint workshops, trainings and exercises. It was a great opportunity to discuss, what has been done in order to tackle corruption and fraud risks, as well as to set up the guidelines for the future cooperation among Baltic Region partners” said Jovitas Raškevičius, Acting Director of the STT.
Senior officials and experts of Lithuanian, Polish, Latvian and Estonian institutions working in the fields of anti-corruption and anti-fraud presented their experience and proven solutions in preventing corruption and fraud affecting the financial interests of the EU. The participants heard various presentations, participated in round table discussions, discussed cases in separate sessions on prevention, investigation and analytics. In the leaders' session, the heads of the anti-corruption institutions of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland examined the latest trends and challenges of detecting and investigation serious corruption cases, in particular, affecting EU financial interests, and agreed on further steps for closer cooperation in this area.
By successfully implementing this project, STT and its partners’ have strengthened prevention, detection, investigation and cooperation abilities, in particular, for tackling fraud and corruption affecting EU financial interests. Through the receipt of information on the recent developments on international, regional and national levels, workshops provided a forum for experts to exchange best practices, establish new and strengthen existing professional ties with national and regional partners, discuss and set up mutual priorities and interests for future collaboration in the field.
The project was funded by the Hercule III programme, which promotes the exchange of knowledge and good practice in the identification and management of corruption and fraud risks detrimentally affecting EU financial interests.
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