The Minister of the Interior, Constantinos Ioannou, met on Tuesday with a delegation from GRECO (Group of States against Corruption) of the Council of Europe, as part of the on-site visit being conducted by the GRECO team in Cyprus from October 13 to 16, 2026.
The visit is taking place as part of the Sixth Evaluation Round, which focuses on preventing corruption and promoting integrity in local government, the Ministry says in a written statement issued here today.
The visit is an important step in assessing the effectiveness of the measures and mechanisms implemented by the Republic of Cyprus to strengthen transparency, integrity, and accountability at the subnational level.
As part of the evaluation, the Republic of Cyprus has selected the Municipality of Nicosia and the Larnaca District Local Government Organisation for assessment.
The evaluation covers two main areas: the institutional and relevant legislative framework and any shortcomings or distortions that may exist, and integrity and anti-corruption measures in local government. Emphasis is placed, inter alia, on the implementation of codes of ethics and standards of conduct, conflicts of interest and mechanisms for preventing and managing any such conflicts, incompatibilities and restrictions on the exercise of certain activities, asset declarations, transparency, access to information and citizen participation, oversight, audit mechanisms and accountability, reporting of corruption incidents, protection of whistleblowers, the application of rules and sanctions, and the imposition of disciplinary or other measures, etc.
Upon completion of the process, GRECO will prepare an evaluation report comprising its findings and recommendations to the Republic of Cyprus, aiming to further strengthen institutional safeguards and corruption prevention practices, contributing to the continuous improvement of the functioning of public administration and local government.
"Cyprus’ participation in the evaluation process reaffirms the importance the Government attaches to enhancing transparency, institutional credibility, and accountability, as well as to the ongoing improvement of mechanisms that ensure integrity in public life,” the Ministry concludes.
