In a newly published report the Council of Europe's Group of states against corruption (GRECO) has acknowledged Estonia's progress in preventing corruption and promoting integrity at local level, while recommending further measures on anti-corruption policy, ethics, transparency and accountability. The evaluation process included an on-site visit in April 2025 during which GRECO's evaluation team engaged with a wide range of national and local stakeholders in the municipalities of Tallinn and Tartu. Estonia volunteered to be the first GRECO member state to be evaluated under the sixth round.
GRECO commends Estonia for its well-developed anti-corruption and integrity framework, and notes that this strength extends to the municipal level, where the internal audit services of Tallinn and Tartu play a key role. The report highlights several good practices worth sharing across member states, such as Tartu and Tallinn's public procurement arrangements and anti-corruption clauses in contracts, e-training courses on anti-corruption and ethics for elected officials and municipal staff, and Tallinn's arrangements for access to, and disclosure of, official information.
At the same time, GRECO identifies scope for progress in a number of areas, and addresses 12 recommendations to the Estonian authorities at both national and municipal level, as appropriate, covering five broad themes.
What specifically has GRECO found regarding anti-corruption measures in Estonia?
On anti-corruption policy and risk management, GRECO recommends strengthening the appointment process for supervisory board members in municipal companies and foundations.
As regards standards of conduct and ethics, recommendations cover systematic integrity training for elected officials and municipal staff, robust confidentiality safeguards for ethics counselling channels, awareness-raising of those channels, and a clear separation between confidential advisory functions and the investigation of integrity breaches.
Concerning conflict of interest prevention, GRECO recommends developing practical guidance on procedural restrictions under the Anti-Corruption Act and on secondary activities, as well as operationalising a risk-based system for verifying declarations of interests, backed by adequate resources, inter-agency coordination and clear follow-up measures for non-compliance.
On transparency, access to information and public participation, it recommends strengthening citizen participation in decision-making and calls for a clear national framework governing lobbying or, in its absence, improved disclosure of contacts with lobbyists and practical guidance for public officials on transparent engagement.
On the subject of control mechanisms, oversight and accountability, GRECO recommends strengthening the capacities of internal audit services, and introducing safeguards to ensure auditor independence under rotation requirements. On whistleblower protection, the national authorities are called upon to review the Whistleblowers Protection Act against Council of Europe standards - notably to extend its scope to breaches of national law - and to strengthen guidance, training, access to confidential advice and effectiveness monitoring.
What happens next?
