The 25th Annual Professional Conference and General Assembly of the European Partners Against Corruption (EPAC) and the European Contact Point Network Against Corruption (EACN) was held in Budva, Montenegro. During the event, the Budva Declaration was adopted, reaffirming the network’s commitment to protecting public integrity and EU financial interests through practical cooperation against corruption, fraud and misconduct. This year, the conference was organised in cooperation with the Agency for Prevention of Corruption of Montenegro and co-funded by the European Union. At the closing of the conference, it was announced that the 26th EPAC/EACN Annual Conference and General Assembly will take place in Vilnius.
The event in Budva was attended by almost 200 participants representing more than 87 different organisation from over 32 European countries. Presentations were given by representatives of the European Commission, GRECO, OECD, UNODC, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Eurojust and Europol, as well as anti-corruption agencies and police oversight bodies from different European countries.
“More than twenty years ago, a group of heads of police oversight bodies recognised that corruption cannot be fought in isolation. Today, our greatest achievement is the trust built between practitioners across borders – and the understanding that we are stronger when we face common challenges together. The Budva Declaration turns that trust into concrete commitments: to strengthen practical cooperation, safeguard EU funds and make responsible use of data analytics and artificial intelligence in detecting corruption, while protecting institutional independence, whistleblowers and public trust,” said Linas Pernavas, President of the EPAC/EACN.
The Conference primarily focused on the theme “Protecting Public Integrity and EU Financial Interests: Practical Cooperation Against Corruption, Fraud and Misconduct”. In the plenary sessions, European and international partners shared their latest strategic perspectives and discussed practical responses to corruption and fraud affecting EU financial interests. The parallel breakout sessions addressed the new EU integrity framework, including the EU Anti-Corruption Directive; case studies on fraud and corruption involving EU funds; safeguarding EU support in candidate countries, with particular focus on the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova; the use of data analytics, artificial intelligence and digital tools for prevention, detection and oversight; the institutional resilience of anti-corruption agencies and police oversight bodies; risk management and conflicts of interest; and whistleblower protection.
The conference final document – the Budva Declaration – calls on member institutions to strengthen practical cooperation and timely information exchange against corruption and fraud affecting public funds, to contribute to the effective implementation of the new EU Anti-Corruption Directive (EU) 2026/1021, and to promote the responsible use of data and technology in detecting corruption. The Declaration also urges States to safeguard the independence, resources and resilience of anti-corruption agencies and police oversight bodies, to ensure effective whistleblower protection and to strengthen practical anti-corruption cooperation with EU candidate countries, while inviting EU institutions and international organisations to provide targeted technical assistance, training and platforms for cooperation.
As part of the conference, a dedicated EPAC/EACN Award 2026 ceremony was held, recognising the most innovative initiative that has significantly contributed to promoting transparency and integrity. A total of five institutions competed for this honour, presenting inspiring approaches to strengthening accountability and public trust. During the ceremony, conference participants voted to select the winning initiative, highlighting the shared commitment of the network to support practical, impactful anti-corruption and oversight solutions. This year, the EPAC/EACN Award 2026 went to Central Anti-Corruption Bureau for its M-AI-A – Integrated AI Services Platform initiative.
At the closing of the conference, it was announced that the 26th EPAC/EACN Annual Conference and General Assembly will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 25–26 May 2027.
The goal of the EPAC/EACN network is to strengthen cooperation through the exchange of best practices in anti-corruption efforts and police oversight. Following this year’s General Assembly, 1 new members joined the network, bringing the total to 127 European institutions from 40 countries.
