Council of Europe body examines local and regional anti-corruption measures in Slovakia

The Slovak Republic has a well-established anti-corruption and integrity system largely covering the local and regional levels, with examples of good practices in several areas, concludes the Council of Europe's Group of states against corruption (GRECO) in a newly released evaluation report released today. The evaluation process included an on-site visit in May 2025 during which GRECO's evaluation team engaged with a wide range of national and local stakeholders in Bratislava and the Trenčin region.

Thirteen recommendations for fighting corruption in Slovakia

The report analyses the institutional structures and regulatory frameworks in place to combat corruption and promote integrity, and their practical implementation, in Bratislava and the Trenčin region, as well as at the national level. While acknowledging certain positive measures, GRECO identifies several areas where further progress is needed to strengthen the Slovak Republic's integrity system, promote accountability at the sub-national level, and foster public trust in institutions. The report contains 13 recommendations addressed to the Slovak authorities.

GRECO notes that some practices in Bratislava and the Trenčin region go further than the national framework requires, demonstrating their commitment to preventing corruption and promoting integrity. These include areas such as the evaluation of the implementation of anti-corruption policy documents, ISO anti-bribery certification, transparency measures and integrity screening in recruitment procedures for managerial positions, stakeholder involvement in the preparation of codes of ethics, and good practices in public participation and procurement procedures.

However, GRECO calls for improvements in coordination between the national and sub-national levels in the preparation and implementation of anti-corruption policies, regular analysis of integrity and corruption risks, and integrity safeguards for political officials. Additional recommendations concern codes of ethics and related awareness-raising and enforcement measures, outside activities, post-employment restrictions, rules on gifts, the review of declarations of assets, liabilities and interests, lobbying and whistleblower protection.

The recommendations are addressed to both the national authorities and the authorities of Bratislava and the Trenčin region. GRECO highlights that, in some areas, effective implementation will require close coordination between national and sub-national authorities, within the country's constitutional framework.

What happens next?

The Slovak authorities are expected to submit a report on the measures taken to implement GRECO's recommendations by 30 September 2027.

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The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) is a Council of Europe body that aims to improve the capacity of its members to fight corruption by monitoring their compliance with anti-corruption standards. It helps states to identify deficiencies in national anti-corruption policies, prompting the necessary legislative, institutional and practical reforms. It comprises the 46 Council of Europe member states, Kazakhstan and the United States of America.

Read the evaluation report in full

GRECO and the Slovak Republic