Project Partners - Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative

The Joint Research Centre for Security and Crime Sciences of the University of Trento and the University of Verona (Italy) is the project coordinator (hereinafter referred to as “CSSC”). CSSC adopts a strongly inter/multi-disciplinary approach (e.g. criminology and social sciences, law, computer sciences, mathematics, statistics, psychology and cognitive sciences, medicine, etc.) to security issues and their global challenges. In particular, it focuses on the implementation of 1) complex, interdisciplinary, applied research projects at the national and international level; and 2) high-level education courses for graduates and professionals on safety and security issues and their challenges in a global society. Members of CSSC the are professors and researchers of the two Universities who are experts in the field from their respective domains. Since 1998, Andrea Di Nicola (Director of the Centre) has participated in more than 60 international and national studies of which about half as scientific coordinator or manager of national unity. He is also currently permanent expert of the Council of Europe in the areas of: 1) anti-corruption and good governance; 2) fighting organized crime. CSSC was officially launched in April 2021 although its origins predate that: it grows form the experience of different research groups dealing with crime and security issues within both the Universities of Trento and Verona. Among these, eCrime, the research group on eCriminology of the Department “Faculty of Law” of the University of Trento.

RAI Secretariat (project partner – beneficiary) is the only regional intergovernmental organisation devoted solely to curb corruption in South Eastern Europe (SEE). RAI Secretariat represents a concrete and visible demonstration of the member states’ commitment to the continuing, concerted and coordinated fight against corruption in the region. The organization is composed of 9 member countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia. It is a leading organization where regional approaches to corruption problems facing SEE countries can be discussed in an equal footing and relevant decisions can be taken and a collective forum where wide responses to such challenges are formulated and worked out. The Secretariat is the executive body of RAI. The Secretariat facilitates regional cooperation and efforts in curbing corruption in SEE region by building on existing actions, though better coordination of all efforts, and by relying on high-level political commitment. The Secretariat adopts human rights-based approach and promotes anti-discrimination by promoting the impact of corruption is looked at from perspectives including gender, disability and poverty.

The Secretariat strives to: a) serve as the main focal point for regional anti-corruption cooperation in SEE through the coordination, facilitation and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned as well as through the interaction and coordination among member states and between member states and other international partners; b) act as a regional Anti-corruption Resource Center for the countries of SEE region; and c) enable a better integration and implementation of the international legal instruments concerning the prevention and fight against corruption. Secretariat stipulates its specific objectives in the Work Plan that is developed every three years and is subject of approval of the RAI Steering Group. The Work Plan represents a compilation of national needs, regional demands and international commitments of RAI member countries. Its intention is to set Secretariats’ strategic direction and to inform the wider anti-corruption community and all the stakeholders. The Specific Objectives stipulated in the Work Plan are a product of joint efforts of Secretariat and the representatives of its member countries and observer countries alike. RAI is a gender aware organization by committing to upholding fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights and other relevant internationally recognized standards. The Secretariat is committed to ensuring that all programmatic and organizational endeavours of the Secretariat are gender sensitive.

CSD (project partner – beneficiary) – Center for the study of Democracy is a Bulgarian policy research institute with a long-standing expertise in corruption, transnational organised crime and security-related issues across several EU Member States. CSD has a proven track record of project implementation and coordination, with over 20 years of experience in fields of monitoring corruption and anti-corruption polices, state capture diagnostics, impact assessment and formulation of policy recommendations.

ANI (project partner – beneficiary) is a Romanian administrative authority, which has the mission to ensure integrity in the exercise of public positions and dignities, prevent institutional corruption through exercising responsibility in assessing wealth declarations, data and information regarding wealth, as well as changes in assets, incompatibilities and potential conflicts of interest during the performance of public positions and dignities. ANI has implemented several EU-financed projects through the national programs in the anticorruption field.

ANAC (project associated partner) is the Italian Anticorruption Authority and aims at implementing article 6 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The national anticorruption law (L. 190/2012) gave ANAC the responsibility: a) to draw up a preventive strategy against corruption; b) to supervise the anticorruption strategy of each public entity (through the adoption of Three Year Plans for integrity and transparency); c) to guarantee transparency in public administrations; d) to guarantee the integrity of civil servants, and to disseminate a culture of integrity and legality. In addition, ANAC has the duty to report to the Italian Parliament on its activities and exercises an advocacy function by submitting proposals for new legislation or modifications of existing laws to both Parliament and the Government. The law of 24th June 2014, n. 90 (aka on “Urgent measures for the simplification and administrative transparency and for the efficiency of the courts”) transferred to ANAC also the tasks of the Authority for the Supervision of Public Contracts (Autorità per la vigilanza sui contratti pubblici or AVCP). Therefore, ANAC is responsible for the supervision of public procurement and contracts. The Authority pursues its mission in the field of Public procurement through regulatory and supervisory activities, with an advisory function and some inspection and sanctioning powers. Over the years, ANAC has set up a monitoring activity through the collection of data on public tenders. For this purpose, ANAC manages the National Database on Public Contracts. The BDNCP is a database that collects, integrates and reconciles data concerning public contracts. Contracting authorities must provide data through digital services. The system is open to interoperability and cooperation at application level, both with internal systems of the Authority, and with similar systems managed by other administrations. The BDNCP integrates the information contained in existing databases in order to ensure unified accessibility, transparency, publicity and traceability of the whole procurement process. Public Procurement data, collected through BDNCP are available to the public through an open data portal, to increase transparency.