Council of Europe

The Council of Europe, based in Strasbourg (France), now covers virtually the entire European continent, with its 47 member countries. Founded on 5 May 1949 by 10 countries, the Council of Europe seeks to develop throughout Europe common and democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals. Read more

Group of States against Corruption (GRECO)

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. The Council of Europe has developed a number of legal instruments dealing with matters such as the criminalisation of corruption in the public and private sectors, liability and compensation for damage caused by corruption, conduct of public officials and the financing of political parties. These instruments are aimed at improving the capacity of States to fight corruption domestically as well as at international level. The monitoring of compliance with these standards is entrusted to GRECO. GRECO also provides a platform for the sharing of best practice in the prevention and detection of corruption.

Membership in GRECO is not limited to Council of Europe member States. Currently, GRECO comprises 46 member States (45 European States and the United States of America). GRECO has its seat in Strasbourg. Read more