Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO)

Summary:

The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) was established in 1999 by the Council of Europe to monitor states’ compliance with the organisation’s anti-corruption standards.

GRECO’s objective is to improve the capacity of its members to fight corruption by monitoring their compliance with Council of Europe anti-corruption standards through a dynamic process of mutual evaluation and peer pressure. It helps to identify deficiencies in national anti-corruption policies, prompting the necessary legislative, institutional and practical reforms. GRECO also provides a platform for the sharing of best practice in the prevention and detection of corruption.

Membership in GRECO, which is an enlarged agreement, is not limited to Council of Europe member states. Any state which took part in the elaboration of the enlarged partial agreement, may join by notifying the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Moreover, any state which becomes party to the Criminal or Civil Law Conventions on Corruption automatically accedes to GRECO and its evaluation procedures. GRECO comprises 49 member states (48 European states and the United States of America).