Partners

Cooperation with Transparency International

The EEA Grants and Norway Grants will draw on the expertise of Transparency International (TI) to identify and address corruption risks in the implementation of the grant schemes.

TI is a global network that brings together government, civil society and business to promote transparency and fight corruption. While all beneficiary countries have committed to applying the highest degree of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the grants, corruption remains an obstacle to achieving much needed progress in several beneficiary states.

Annualy, TI publishes an ‘International Corruption Perceptions Index’ which ranks countries in terms of perceptions of the level of public-sector corruption. In the 2010 Index, the 15 beneficiary states ranked from 26 (Estonia) to 73 (Bulgaria) in the world.

Transparency International will:

• Assess the overall integrity systems in beneficiary states: this will be a key information source for assessing the corruption risks within relevant sectors and institutions in the countries.
• Develop a methodology for risk assessment affecting the Grants which can be applied to all beneficiary states.
• Provide information about existing tools and solutions to address corruption risks in management, including procurement, which is a high-risk area for corrupt practices.
• Conduct pilot projects for Integrity Pacts, a tool aimed at preventing corruption in public contracting.
• Contribute to annual seminars on transparency and good governance in the EEA and Norway Grants.

Council of Europe

The Council of Europe participates in programmes related to human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

The CoE sets recognised international standards, including over 200 international treaties, and identifies best practice. This makes the Council well-placed to assist in designing programmes to be financially supported by the EEA and Norway Grants.

The agreement with the Council of Europe will strengthen the profile and expertise of the EEA and Norway Grants on important areas such as justice, human rights and social inclusion. The CoE will be directly involved as a partner in a number of programmes and projects in the beneficiary states, most specifically when it comes to addressing the needs of vulnerable groups such as the Roma, assisting victims of human trafficking, fighting domestic and gender-based violence, and in strengthening the accountability and improving the efficiency of the judiciary and correctional systems.

All country-specific agreements on the use of funds (MoUs) include a reference to the CoE’s human rights- and governance related standards.

• CoE as partner in Norway Grants-programmes on gender violence
• Signing of the agreement