What does EPAC mean in EUROPEAN

EPAC stands for European Partners Against Corruption and it is a collaborative network of government agencies and organisations from 19 countries in Europe that work together to tackle corruption and uphold the principles of the rule of law in their respective nations.

The members of EPAC include Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Kosovo*, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine. (*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status)

The main aim of EPAC is to jointly support anti-corruption activities across Europe by connecting relevant government agencies with each other as well as with anti-corruption activists working in those countries. It undertakes various initiatives such as research projects on corruption issues specific to certain countries; training sessions aimed at both public officials and civil society activists; development programs for implementation using best practice case studies; exchange visits between participating countries; and information sharing activities such as newsletters and websites.

People interested in getting involved with EPAC can contact their local agency or organisation which may be part of the network or they can reach out directly to one or more member states through their respective contact points available on the website (http://www.epac-project.eu/contact). Other ways people can get involved include attending meetings or workshops organised by the network or joining one of the standing committees which discuss specific topics within the framework set by EPAC.

Some successfully implemented initiatives under EPAC include a comprehensive programme aimed at enhancing transparency among Bulgarian municipalities through public hearings; a 10-year legal reform project in Romania focused on reducing corruption levels in public administration; an awareness campaign led by Albanian activists calling on citizens to engage more actively in preventing corrupt practices; sophisticated fraud investigations carried out by Icelandic investigators leading to successful prosecutions against high-level offenders; and many more.