Conflict of Interest Policies and Practices in Nine EU Member States : A Comparative Review

This paper was prepared by Sigma, upon the request of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, to serve as a basic comparative working document for the preparation of a new policy and regulation on conflict of interest in the Czech public sector. Given its generalist orientation, the paper could also be useful for other countries carrying out specific reforms in the area of conflict of interest and general reforms related to anti-corruption policies and instruments. This paper provides descriptive data and an analytical overview of approaches to managing conflicts of interest in the public sector of nine European countries — six “old” EU members (France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom) and three “new” EU members (Hungary, Latvia and Poland). The paper also provides some conclusions that are worth taking into account when reforming policies and instruments to improve regulations and practices on conflict of interest.