(AGENPARL) – Mon 08 December 2025 Image
PRESS RELEASE
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Ref. CG092(2025)
International Anti-Corruption Day 2025:
Council of Europe Congress calls for strengthening integrity at the local level
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is the political assembly representing local and regional governments across the 46 member States, responsible for promoting and monitoring local democracy.
Strasbourg, 8 December 2025 – The Congress Spokesperson on Ethics and the Prevention of Corruption, Danela Arsovska, (North Macedonia, EPP/CCE), issued a statement on the occasion of 9 December, International Anti-Corruption Day.
“Across Europe, a combination of indicators, including public opinion surveys and declining voter turnout, shows that citizens are losing confidence in public institutions. In this context, it is essential for local and regional authorities to work closely with national governments to prevent corruption and strengthen integrity, transparency, and accountability.
“Corruption undermines the foundations of democratic societies by eroding public trust. When it occurs at the local level in social services delivery, issuance of construction permits, or public procurement, its impact is immediate and measurable. It causes unequal access to services, arbitrary or unfair treatment, administrative delays, inflated costs, and lower-quality infrastructure.
“Effective anti-corruption frameworks must include clear rules on preventing conflicts of interest, transparency standards, accessible public information, and strong legal protections for whistleblowers. Equally important is to foster a culture of integrity within public administrations, starting at the local level, which is crucial for improving the quality of governance and restoring citizens’ trust in democratic processes.
“As the Council of Europe advances work on a New Democratic Pact for Europe, the Congress is reinforcing its cooperation with the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), whose current monitoring focus on integrity and corruption prevention at the subnational level is an important contribution to this effort.
“Strengthening good governance and rebuilding public trust is a shared responsibility that can only be achieved through joint efforts.”
Composed of two chambers – the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions – and three committees, the Congress brings together 612 elected officials representing more than 130 000 local and regional authorities.
President of the Congress: Marc Cools (Belgium, ILDG), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Bernd Vöhringer (Germany, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD).
Political groups: Group of Socialists, Greens and Progressive Democrats (SOC/G/PD), Group of the European Peoples Party (EPP/CCE), Independent Liberal and Democratic Group (ILDG), European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR).
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