On 5-24 October 2020, the annual European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) will virtually bring together local and national authorities, EU representatives, civil society, academia and the private sector to foster citizen participation in cohesion policy and exchange best practices to pave the way towards a Greener Europe. This year’s EWRC will be spread over three weeks, each focused on a different theme: 1) Empowering Citizens, 2) Cohesion and Cooperation, 3) Green Europe.
We are currently faced with an unprecedented health crisis, the recovery from which will heavily rely on EU funds and cohesion policy, therefore the safeguarding of funds, citizen participation, and transparency in public procurement have become even more vital.
During this year’s online EWCR, Transparency International will share its experience in engaging citizens through Integrity Pacts – a civic monitoring tool to safeguard public contracting from fraud and corruption. Since 2016, Transparency International and the European Commission have been piloting Integrity Pacts across 11 Member States to ensure that 18 EU-funded investments deliver for the common good.
Below you can find a description of the sessions that will feature Integrity Pacts:
Empowering Citizens
Join the Civic Mapathon!
Wednesday 7 October 2020
09:30 – 11:00 CET
With speakers from the Transparency International Secretariat, Transparency International Italia, and the European Commission, the session will showcase an innovative way for involving affected communities in civic monitoring through technology. Building on the work of Transparency International Italia for the monitoring of a tram construction in Cagliari, Sardinia, this online Civic Mapathon will demonstrate that citizens can contribute to the planning of a large public works project with only a smartphone, tablet or computer and good internet connection. Participants will learn how georeferencing can stimulate the engagement of citizens in monitoring tenders and infrastructure projects.
The session will be held in English. Once you have successfully registered, drop us an email at integritypacts@transparency.org to receive the preparatory guidelines. Please note that there are limited places available.
Read more about the session and register here before 27 September.
Find out more about the monitoring work of Transparency International Italia in Sardinia.
Find a short video about the Civic Mapathon below.
Cohesion and Cooperation
Anti-fraud strategies and the regions. The important role the regions can play in the fight against fraud and corruption, in particular in the context of crises.
Tuesday 13 October 2020
11:30-13:00 CET
Fraudulent actions to misuse public, including EU, funds happen regularly. The rapidly evolving nature of fraud and the increasingly complex schemes it entails offer many opportunities to fraudsters. When fraud occurs, its impacts are multiple and manifest on various levels: Fraud and corruption not only have a financial but also a social and personal cost; they jeopardise the efficiency of governance, democracy, equal opportunities, competitiveness and quality of life. Finally, fraud and corruption constitute a high reputational risk for the authorities that manage and implement the funds. All these risks are heightened by the current crisis, to counter which the correct use of public (and European) funding is even more important.
In this session organised by OLAF, Nick Aiossa (Deputy Director at Transparency International EU) will be joined by representatives from the European Commission and Parliament to discuss Integrity Pacts and other tools that can help to combat fraud and corruption in EU funds.
Read more about the session and register here before 27 September.
Our top 5 not-to-be-missed sessions
Aside from our sessions on Integrity Pacts, the three weeks will be full of insightful discussions. Here’s a selection of the sessions we’re most looking forward to:
- Citizens empowering citizens for cohesion policy, Tuesday 6 October, 11:30-12:00 CET
- Digital Masterclasses: Engaging citizens online, Wednesday 7 October, 09:30-11:00 CET
- Citizen engagement and regional policies, Thursday 8 October, 14:30-16:00 CET
- Empowering citizens with data, Tuesday 13 October, 09:30-10:00 CET
- Innovating citizen participation, Thursday 15 October, 16:30-18:00 CET
About the European Week of Regions and Cities
The European Week of Regions and Cities is an annual event co-organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and the Committee of the Regions in Brussels. Find out more about the event by following this link.
About Integrity Pacts
Since 2016, the DG REGIO-financed Integrity Pacts – Civil Control Mechanism for Safeguarding EU Funds project has helped civil society to build their capacity to play a leading role in monitoring use of ESIF funding and in stimulating broader engagement. Learn more about the project and its partners here.
With support from:
