Members of the European Network for Public Ethics (ENPE) met in Budapest

Aiming to promote public integrity and transparency, the European Network for Public Ethics (ENPE) was established in June 2022 at the initiative of the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (HATVP).

The Network now brings together 15 authorities from EU Member States and 4 observer members who regularly exchange views on public ethics issues. The Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC) was elected to the presidency of the Network in October 2024, for a two-year term.

The Hungarian Integrity Authority (IH) organised the annual conference and hosted the Network’s plenary meeting in Budapest on 16 and 17 October 2025.

Giuseppe Busia, President of ENPE and ANAC, opened the conference by explaining that preventing conflicts of interest was essential to guaranteeing the credibility of institutions and their orientation towards the public interest. He emphasized the need for better coordination of rules to more effectively prevent and manage conflicts of interest. While the use of digital tools can be a valuable ally, he asserted that it must be accompanied by improved international coordination.

Ferenc Biró, President of IH, stressed that fighting corruption is not simply a competition, but a shared responsibility. He noted that European counterparts in the fight against corruption were a source of inspiration and indicated that Hungary could also contribute to strengthening the European culture of integrity and accountability.

On 16 October 2025, members of the Network attended the conference entitled “From Culture to Compliance: Transforming oversight of conflicts of interest”. The conference brought together public ethics authorities, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society representatives to discuss concrete strategies for improving the prevention, control, and management of conflicts of interest, as well as European regulations to promote greater harmonization among Member States. Managing and preventing conflicts of interest is a major challenge in Europe for strengthening public trust. In the afternoon, members met to further their discussions by exploring the use of technological innovations in conflict management and control. Spain and Hungary presented their models and tools.

Various initiatives were discussed during the plenary meeting on 17 October 2025 to raise awareness of the implementation of a culture of integrity in ENPE member countries. The Secretariat of the Network presented the results of a comparative analysis conducted on this issue, while Slovenia and Greece presented case studies on conflicts of interest management in their respective countries. During this plenary meeting, the High Authority was re-elected to the Secretariat of the Network for a three-year term.