Integrity Watch 3.0: towards a European Community of Transparency, Integrity and Accountability

How can we unleash the full potential of transparency as a tool for safeguarding democracy across the Union?

What common norms of political integrity can raise standards both at national level and in Brussels?

How can civil society organisations and national enforcement agencies strengthen cooperation to prevent scandals and promote governance in the public interest?

Which role should the EU institutions play in promoting transparency, integrity and accountability following the European Parliament elections in 2024?

Decision-makers are elected or appointed to serve the public interest, but this mandate can be compromised when elected representatives maintain side interests such as of outside employment or company holdings. Indeed, recent scandals across the EU have exposed a dire need to adopt robust safeguards whenever and wherever money and private interests have the potential to skew decisions away from the public interest. This is where leveraging open data is key, as it has the power to reveal the vast linkages and patronage networks between decision-makers and the private sector.

Our Integrity Watch 3.0 project, funded by the European Commission Security & Policy Fund, harnesses the realm of hard-to-reach data in lobbying, political finance, asset and financial declarations, public procurement and beneficial ownership registers in 16 EU Member States and two EU institutions. To mark the end of the project, we’re hosting a final conference, bringing together national experts, project partners, EU officials and key stakeholders to share field experiences, lessons learned, successes and challenges in the use of data as an anti-corruption tool. The occasion will be a fantastic opportunity to kickstart common reflections on the future of the fight against political corruption.

We’d be delighted if you joined us there.

When: 28 November 2023, 14:30–20:00, including networking buffet and drinks

Where: Radisson Collection Hotel, Grand Place Brussels

Integrity Watch 3.0: final event