Transparency International Belgium had the opportunity to meet with the Federal Deontological Commission of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives.The Federal Deontological Commission, which advises Members of Parliament, ministers, state secretaries and public office holders on integrity matters, plays an important role in promoting ethical standards in public office. It also drafted the Code of Conduct for federal mandate holders.
Our discussion focused on two key topics:
🔹 The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)
We presented Transparency International Belgium’s mission to fight corruption and promote integrity as essential foundations for protecting democracy, strengthening institutions, and safeguarding human rights.
The Federal Deontological Commission showed a strong interest in the CPI methodology and discussed Belgium’s decline in recent years, including the challenges of interpreting rankings across different political and economic contexts.
We emphasised that the CPI should serve as a catalyst for action and highlighted the need for:
• stronger awareness-raising on integrity and corruption risks;
• a comprehensive National Anti-Corruption Strategy with a strong preventive approach;
• effective implementation, monitoring and accountability mechanisms.
We also stressed that evidence-based policymaking requires reliable data. Belgium continues to face significant gaps in integrity-related information, as reflected in the OECD public integrity indicators, limiting our ability to measure progress and identify risks.
🔹 Belgium’s National Strategic Anti-Corruption Plan
Transparency International Belgium reaffirmed its ambition to support Belgium together with public institutions and civil society in going beyond the minimum standards set by the EU Anti-Corruption Directive and building a robust integrity framework.
We are grateful for the constructive exchange and are pleased that the Federal Deontological Commission welcomed our invitation to collaborate further.
We look forward to continuing this dialogue and working together to strengthen integrity and transparency in Belgium.
