The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential

Internal Security Fund (ISF)

Call for proposals on the fight against corruption

(ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CORRUPT)

Concept proposal

BLOCKS: BuiLding Operational anti-Corruption toolKits for EU

Member and Candidate States

(under definition)

Trento, August 2026

Coordinator

[Department: eCrime and/or CSSC – TBD]

This document is a concept note and represents a preliminary version of the final proposal. Consequently, all information

contained herein could be subject to change in the final version.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 2

CALL INFORMATION

Call: Call for proposals on the fight against corruption (ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CORRUPT)

Deadline: 24 September 2026, 17:00 (CEST)

Priorities, activities, and outcomes addressed by the proposal

Project proposal “BLOCKS” addresses all priorities of the call for proposals:

1. Strengthening cross-border and EU-level responses to corruption including the implementation

of EU anti-corruption recommendations;

2. Enhancing prevention, detection, and enforcement capacities;

3. Promoting integrity and institutional resilience.

Project proposal “BLOCKS” provides for the following activities covered by the call for proposals:

• Activities supporting the implementation of anti-corruption recommendations addressed to

Member States in the annual Rule of Law reports or in the European Semester; such as

developing implementation roadmaps, monitoring tools, or coordination mechanisms between

competent authorities;

• Activities improving integrity and anti-corruption in national authorities including through capacity

building and trainings, as well as the development of relevant frameworks, tools or practices;

• Activities promoting evidence-based policy making in the field of anti-corruption including through

data collection, analysis and the development of relevant methodologies or indicators;

• Activities identifying corruption risks and challenges in the private sector and public sector,

including through risk assessment and the measures to mitigate these risks;

• Activities reducing corruption in areas with a high risk of corruption, such as targeted measures

addressing vulnerabilities;

• Activities supporting the inclusion and progress of anti-corruption, ethics and integrity education

at all educational levels.

Project proposal “BLOCKS” aims to achieve the following outcomes set by the call for proposals:

• Strengthened structural and/or operational approach in the prevention of corruption in the public

and private sector;

• Increased implementation of anti-corruption recommendations to Member States highlighted in

the annual Rule of Law reports and in the European Semester, as well as the objectives of the

Directive on combating corruption;

• Improved data collection and risk management tools that enable mitigation or oversight in areas

with high corruption risks;

• Increased understanding of the challenges and good practices in the areas mentioned as

priorities, including emerging forms of corruption and new methods used by criminal networks,

and/or risks of infiltration of organised crime though corruption into MS economies, politics and

societies at large.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 3

Background

April 2026 marked the adoption of the new Directive on combating corruption, replacing Framework

Decision 2003/568/JHS and the 1997 Convention on the fight against corruption, and amending

Directive (EU) 2017/1371. After defining a set of ten corruption offences (Chapter II, Articles 3-11) to be

independently integrated into the penal systems of each Member State, in Chapters III and IV the Directive

includes provisions on prevention and cooperation among MSs in the fight against corruption.

While transposing Chapter II of the Directive requires legislative intervention in national criminal law,

Chapters III and IV require concrete action in the fields of risk assessment, training and data collection.

In particular:

• Article 22: “[…] Member States shall ensure that one or several bodies or organisational units

tasked with the prevention of corruption are in place and possess the necessary expertise to fight

against corruption. The tasks of such bodies or organisational units may include, as appropriate:

[…] (d) identifying sectors or occupations most at risk of corruption; […]”

• Article 24: “(1) Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to provide up-to-date

training for its national officials to be able to identify different forms of corruption and corruption

risks that can occur in the exercise of their duties and to react in a timely and appropriate manner

to any suspicious activity. (2) […] Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to

provide specialised and up-to-date training for law enforcement and judicial authorities tasked

with criminal investigations and criminal proceedings of offences falling within the scope of this

Directive.”

• Article 34: “(1) Member States shall have a system in place for the recording, production and

provision of anonymised statistical data on the criminal offences referred to in Articles 3 to 11 of

this Directive.”

Indeed, to establish a truly harmonised anticorruption framework, the transposition of the new EU

Directive on combating corruption is imperative. However, to maximise its impact from a practical and

operational perspective, the transposition of legislation must be supported by standardised measures

that foster coordinated anti-corruption actions, with a view to strengthening the alignment of European

practices.

Objectives

The proposed project “BLOCKS” intends to provide support to EU Member States in the harmonised

implementation of the new Directive on combating corruption, and to Candidate States in the alignment

to EU standards, within the specific context of their accession process under Chapters 23 and 24 of the

Acquis.

To reach this goal, the project proposal has three specific objectives:

(1) Elaborating a harmonised data collection toolkit to gather statistical data on corruption offences

(under Articles 3-11, and 34 of the new anti-corruption Directive) across EU MSs and CSs.

(2) Developing a risk assessment methodological toolkit to identify sectors and occupations most at

risk of corruption (under Article 22 of the new anti-corruption Directive), both at public and private

level, to target prioritised interventions;

(3) Designing evidence-based training materials regarding:

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 4

a. corruption offences and their manifestations targeting personnel operating in sectors and

occupations found at-risk, to strengthen their expertise (under Article 24 of the new anti-

corruption Directive);

b. toolkits and instruments developed in the framework if the BLOCKS and qAID projects, to

guide the relevant stakeholder—both at public and private level—through their correct use,

ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of the projects results.

(4) Enhancing institutional resilience and capacity-building by providing open access tools and

knowledge through the EU’s first integrated anticorruption platform.

The proposed project thereby aims to strengthen the standardisation of cross-border and EU-level

operational responses to corruption by detecting at-risk situations through evidence-based tools and

methodologies. Nonetheless, the project’s objective is to promote institutional resilience and operational

capacity of EU MSs to comply with the new Directive and of CSs to align to EU standards within the context

of EU enlargement, by providing them toolkits to further enhance the fight against corruption across

Europe.

Work Packages

WP1 – Management and coordination of the action. Leader: UNITRENTO (M1-M24).

• Work Package description

To manage and coordinate the action.

• Tasks description

Task Timing Scope Main contributors

T1.1 M1-M24 Establishment of project organisation and procedures All partners

T1.2 M1-M24 Kik-off meeting and mid-term meeting All partners

T1.3 M1-M24 Monitoring of deliverables, milestones, and progress reports WP leaders

T1.4 M1-M24 Financial and administrative coordination All beneficiaries

WP2 – Data collection toolkit. Leader: UNITRENTO (M3-M9).

• Work Package description

To develop a standardised toolkit for the recording, production and provision of anonymised statistical

data on the criminal offences. A set of guidelines will support the correct completion and usage of a data

collection matrix, in order to generate a comprehensive and user-friendly framework. The toolkit will be

tested in a predefined number of EU Member and Candidate Countries. The piloting phase will allow to

probe the validity and the adaptability of the tool in different national contexts, and to finalise the

developed matrix. Moreover, an additional outcome are guidelines for the correct collection of statistical

data on corruption offences, adding recommendations and suggestions to build an efficient and

comprehensive database.

• Tasks description

Task Timing Scope Main contributors

T2.1 M3-M5

Based on Articles 3 to 11 of the new EU Directive on Combating

corruption, this task aims to create a standardised

categorisation of corruption criminal offences. The objective will

UNITRENTO

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 5

be achieved through a systematic reconstruction of the existent

corruption juridical categories across Europe. Mapping the

legislation of the European Countries—focusing on the pilot

ones—will allow to develop a standardised set of corruption

categories to harmonise the systematic collection of data on

criminal offences, making data comparable across Europe.

T2.2 M5-M7

The task aims to develop a data collection toolkit on corruption

criminal offences, dismissed court cases, non-trial resolutions,

natural persons (public officials and high officials) and legal

persons prosecuted, convicted and fined. The toolkit will take

into consideration statistical data of the previous 5 years to

enable also time-based data comparability.

UNITRENTO

T2.3 M7-M9

The task is dedicated to the pilot phase of the data collection

toolkit in a predefined set of pilot countries—both Member and

Candidate States. The task envisages the involvement of the

anticorruption agencies, part of the consortium as Associated

partners. The agencies task is to complete the developed matrix

and to return it with comments and suggestions for refinement.

After the analysis of the results, a set of guidelines on how to

correctly collect statistical data on corruption offences will be

designed, adding recommendations and suggestions to build an

efficient and comprehensive database on corruption offences.

UNITRENTO – RAI –

Associated partners

• Deliverables

Deliverable Task sources

D2.1 – Data collection toolkit T2.1; T2.2

D2.2 – Piloting results (not public) T2.3

D2.3 – Recommendations and guidelines T2.3

WP3 – Risk assessment methodological toolkit. Leader: CSD. (M8-M14)

• Work Package description

To develop a risk assessment methodological toolkit aimed to identify sectors and occupations most at

risk of corruption. The toolkit will be piloted in the same EU Member and Candidate States covered in

Work Package 2. The testing phase will ensure the ability of the toolkit to identify specific sectors and

occupations at risk of corruption, both at public and private level.

• Tasks description

Task Timing Scope Main contributors

T3.1 M8-M10

The task objective is to map the state of the art on risk

assessment methodologies and risk indicators in the field of

anticorruption, both at public and private level.

CSD

T3.2 M10-M12

The task aims to develop a risk assessment methodological

toolkit capable of identifying at-risk sectors and occupations

within a specific organisation, both at private and public level.

CSD

T3.3 M12-M14

The task is dedicated to the pilot phase of the risk assessment

methodological toolkit developed in the previous phase. This

moment envisages the involvement of the anticorruption

agencies, part of the consortium as Associated partners. The

CSD – RAI –

Associated partners

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 6

agencies are required to use the toolkit and provide suggestion

for its refinement. A set of guidelines on the correct use of the

risk assessment methodological toolkit will be designed to

ensure the maximisation of its efficiency.

• Deliverables

Deliverable Task sources

D3.1 – Mapping risk assessment toolkits and indicators on corruption T3.1

D3.2 – Risk assessment methodological toolkit T3.2

D3.3 – Guidelines T3.3

WP4 – Training protocol and activities. Leader: RAI (M14-M21).

• Work Package description

To elaborate a standard evidence-based training model for sectors and occupations at-risk identified

through the risk assessment methodological toolkit. The model will be tested in the pilot countries’ at-risk

sectors and occupations. After refinement, the training model will be enclosed in a protocol to ensure its

replicability by the anticorruption agencies.

• Tasks description

Task Timing Scope Main contributors

T4.1 M14-M16

The task objective is to define contents and modalities of the

training activities. The identification of the risk sectors and

occupations sets the starting point to design country-based

training materials and activities aimed to increase awareness of

corruption manifestations and their consequences, as well as the

impact at a personal and organisational level.

RAI

T4.2 M17-M20

The task aims to carry out the training activities and disseminate

the materials designed in the previous phase. The task is going to

be achieved with the cooperation of the anticorruption agencies,

part of the consortium as Associated partners, who are the point

of contact with the at-risk sectors and occupations to be trained.

RAI – Associated

partners

T4.3 M20-M21

The task aims to elaborate a training protocol to ensure the

training activity to be reproduced. The protocol consists of a

guideline to build tailored training activities and materials. The

training protocol assures the sustainability of the project as the

anticorruption agencies are in possess of the necessary materials

to reproduce the process periodically.

RAI

WP5 – Anticorruption platform and dissemination. Leader: UNITRENTO – with the support of RAI (M3-

M24)

• Work Package description

To ensure the effective dissemination of the project results to relevant communities and stakeholders, to

promote the developed tools and maximise the project’s impact. The objective is going to be achieved

also through the designing of the first EU integrated anticorruption platform with complete open access

to the existing anticorruption materials developed in the framework of BLOCKS and other related EU

projects.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 7

• Tasks description

Task Timing Scope Main contributors

T5.1 M3-M24 Design and implementation of the project communication strategy

and dissemination plan All partners

T5.2 M3-M24

Design of the first EU integrated anticorruption platform,

composed of the following sections:

a. Statistical data on corruption offences;

b. Database of the more significant corruption court cases;

c. Tools section storing the operational results of BLOCKS,

qAID and other projects focusing on corruption (e.g.

SceMaps, Private Corruption Barometer and others) and,

when available, providing training on the correct use of

the materials.

UNITRENTO - RAI

T5.3 M3-M24 Networking and dissemination events All beneficiaries

T5.4 M3-M24 Organising an international conference (in Brussels) All partners

Proposed consortium

Coordinator

• UNITRENTO [Department: eCrime and/or CSSC, TBD] - University of Trento (Italy)

Co-beneficiaries

• CSD – Centre for the Study of Democracy (Bulgaria)

• RAI - Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Associated partners

• TBD

The consortium seeks to involve a wide network of anticorruption agencies from Member and Candidate

States to strengthen the feasibility of the project and the effectiveness of its results.

For additional information, please see the next page.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 8

Participating as Associated partner: key FAQ and practical details

• What is the expected level of involvement/commitment for the anticorruption agencies as

Associated partners?

Anticorruption agencies are involved as key strategic stakeholders and end-users. Their expected

involvement consists of providing operational feedback and guidance based on their field experience.

Specifically, agencies will be asked to review and test the project outputs to ensure they meet actual

operational needs. This collaborative dialogue requires limited staff effort but is essential to guarantee

the practical feasibility and real-world impact of the project.

The following table details the involvement in each Work Package.

Work Package Task

WP1 Representatives will participate in the kick-off and mid-term meetings.

WP2 Anticorruption agencies will participate in the WP’s piloting phase by completing the shared

data matrix and providing structured feedback and recommendations.

WP3 Anticorruption agencies will test the developed risk assessment methodological toolkit and

provide technical feedback and suggestions for its improvement.

WP4 Anticorruption agencies will act as the key liaison between target at-risk sectors/occupations

and consortium partners responsible for delivering training activities and materials.

WP5

Anticorruption agencies will be asked to provide feedback and suggestions for the

improvement of the EU integrated anticorruption platform.

Representatives from anticorruption agencies will participate in the final international

conference in Brussels.

• What kind of administrative and/or financial obligations do the Associated partners have?

Participation as an Associated partner entails no administrative or financial obligations. While Associated

partners do not hold a direct project budget, all eligible expenses associated with their participation, such

as travel and accommodation costs, will be borne directly by the consortium's beneficiaries.

• The participation as Associated partner entails legal bindings with the European Commission or the

Consortium?

No, Associated partners do not enter any legally binding commitments with either the European

Commission or the Consortium. Since Associated partners are not required to sign the Grant Agreement

or the Consortium Agreement, they bear no legal obligations or financial liabilities.

However, the involvement of anticorruption agencies as Associated partners greatly strengthens both

project feasibility and the value returned to the agencies themselves. By contributing their operational

insights, agencies ensure the project delivers highly tailored, effective tools that directly bolster their

institutional capacity in the fight against corruption.

• What are the requirements for participation?

To participate as Associated partners, organisations need to provide their PIC number, along with the

details of a contact person and their email address.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 9

About us

The University of Trento, founded in 1962, ranks among the top Italian and European universities for

research impact, innovation and teaching quality, with a strong international outlook.

Since early 2021, the Centre for Security and Crime Sciences (CSSC), a joint initiative of the University of

Trento and the University of Verona, conducts advanced applied research and high-level training activities

in a strongly interdisciplinary manner. Administratively based at the University of Trento, it is directed by

Prof. Andrea Di Nicola and coordinated by professors and researchers from departments of both

universities.

CSSC adopts a strongly inter/multi-disciplinary approach to security issues and their global challenges. In

particular, it focuses on the implementation of 1) complex, interdisciplinary, applied research projects at

the national and international level; and 2) high-level education courses for graduates and professionals

on safety and security issues and their challenges in a global society. It does so by integrating knowledge

from a wide range of disciplines, including criminology, law, statistics, mathematics, sociology,

information sciences, the humanities, engineering, economics, medicine, psychology and cognitive

sciences, physics, and biology. Members of CSSC are professors and researchers of the two Universities

who are experts in the field from their respective domains. CSSC grows form the experience of different

research groups dealing with crime and security issues within both the Universities of Trento and Verona.

Among these, eCrime, the research group on eCriminology of the Department “Faculty of Law” of the

University of Trento.

Founded in 2011, eCrime is the research group on digital criminology within the Faculty of Law, University

of Trento. It has been among the pioneers in studying the intersection of organised crime, illicit markets

and digitalisation. Coordinated by Prof. Andrea di Nicola and Dr. Gabriele Baratto, the group has built over

a decade of specialised expertise in organised crime, corruption, human and drug trafficking. eCrime

brings together multiple disciplines – including criminology, law, statistics, information sciences, and

others – to conduct applied research on crime and security in today’s digital society. It addresses both

traditional and emerging forms of crime and security using innovative methods and tools. It was among

the first research groups to explore the intersection between organised crime, illicit activities and

markets, and digitalisation and the digital society, thereby developing extensive knowledge and expertise

across a range of topics. Since its establishment, eCrime has coordinated or participated in more than

twenty national, European, and international research projects, most of which have focused on the impact

and relevance of digital tools—including web platforms and social media—on criminal and illicit processes

and activities. Its flexible structure brings together members from within the University of Trento—

professors, researchers, fellows, doctoral candidates, and collaborators—as well as external Italian and

international scholars from other universities and organisations.

Together, CSSC and eCrime have developed strong, practically oriented competences in the fight against

corruption: they have contributed to design and build investigative tools, data-collection and monitoring

platforms, risk-assessment methodologies and training materials on corruption, organised crime,

counterfeiting, hate speech and cybercrime. This work is carried out in close and ongoing collaboration

with policymakers, including national ministries and the European Commission, as well as law

enforcement agencies and prosecutors, international organisations, and civil society organisations across

the EU, through numerous EU-funded action grants.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 10

Contacts

For any further information, or to confirm your interest in joining the project, please contact:

Gabriele Baratto

Assistant Professor of Criminology

Scientific coordinator of eCrime, Department 'Faculty of Law' | University of Trento

Member of the Centre for Security and Crime Sciences | University of Trento - University of Verona

phone: +39 0461 282374

mobile: +39 320 3256807

email: [email protected]

Andrea Di Nicola

Full Professor of Criminology

Scientific coordinator of eCrime, Department 'Faculty of Law' | University of Trento

Director of the Centre for Security and Crime Sciences | University of Trento - University of Verona

phone: +39 0461 281823

mobile: +39 349 4575059

email : [email protected]

CSSC – Centre for Security and Crime Sciences

phone: +39 0461 282336

email: [email protected]

eCrime – ICT, Law and Criminology

phone: +39 0461 282336

email: [email protected]

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential

Internal Security Fund (ISF)

Call for proposals on the fight against corruption

(ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CORRUPT)

Concept proposal

BLOCKS: BuiLding Operational anti-Corruption toolKits for EU

Member and Candidate States

(under definition)

Trento, August 2026

Coordinator

[Department: eCrime and/or CSSC – TBD]

This document is a concept note and represents a preliminary version of the final proposal. Consequently, all information

contained herein could be subject to change in the final version.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 2

CALL INFORMATION

Call: Call for proposals on the fight against corruption (ISF-2026-TF2-AG-CORRUPT)

Deadline: 24 September 2026, 17:00 (CEST)

Priorities, activities, and outcomes addressed by the proposal

Project proposal “BLOCKS” addresses all priorities of the call for proposals:

1. Strengthening cross-border and EU-level responses to corruption including the implementation

of EU anti-corruption recommendations;

2. Enhancing prevention, detection, and enforcement capacities;

3. Promoting integrity and institutional resilience.

Project proposal “BLOCKS” provides for the following activities covered by the call for proposals:

• Activities supporting the implementation of anti-corruption recommendations addressed to

Member States in the annual Rule of Law reports or in the European Semester; such as

developing implementation roadmaps, monitoring tools, or coordination mechanisms between

competent authorities;

• Activities improving integrity and anti-corruption in national authorities including through capacity

building and trainings, as well as the development of relevant frameworks, tools or practices;

• Activities promoting evidence-based policy making in the field of anti-corruption including through

data collection, analysis and the development of relevant methodologies or indicators;

• Activities identifying corruption risks and challenges in the private sector and public sector,

including through risk assessment and the measures to mitigate these risks;

• Activities reducing corruption in areas with a high risk of corruption, such as targeted measures

addressing vulnerabilities;

• Activities supporting the inclusion and progress of anti-corruption, ethics and integrity education

at all educational levels.

Project proposal “BLOCKS” aims to achieve the following outcomes set by the call for proposals:

• Strengthened structural and/or operational approach in the prevention of corruption in the public

and private sector;

• Increased implementation of anti-corruption recommendations to Member States highlighted in

the annual Rule of Law reports and in the European Semester, as well as the objectives of the

Directive on combating corruption;

• Improved data collection and risk management tools that enable mitigation or oversight in areas

with high corruption risks;

• Increased understanding of the challenges and good practices in the areas mentioned as

priorities, including emerging forms of corruption and new methods used by criminal networks,

and/or risks of infiltration of organised crime though corruption into MS economies, politics and

societies at large.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 3

Background

April 2026 marked the adoption of the new Directive on combating corruption, replacing Framework

Decision 2003/568/JHS and the 1997 Convention on the fight against corruption, and amending

Directive (EU) 2017/1371. After defining a set of ten corruption offences (Chapter II, Articles 3-11) to be

independently integrated into the penal systems of each Member State, in Chapters III and IV the Directive

includes provisions on prevention and cooperation among MSs in the fight against corruption.

While transposing Chapter II of the Directive requires legislative intervention in national criminal law,

Chapters III and IV require concrete action in the fields of risk assessment, training and data collection.

In particular:

• Article 22: “[…] Member States shall ensure that one or several bodies or organisational units

tasked with the prevention of corruption are in place and possess the necessary expertise to fight

against corruption. The tasks of such bodies or organisational units may include, as appropriate:

[…] (d) identifying sectors or occupations most at risk of corruption; […]”

• Article 24: “(1) Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to provide up-to-date

training for its national officials to be able to identify different forms of corruption and corruption

risks that can occur in the exercise of their duties and to react in a timely and appropriate manner

to any suspicious activity. (2) […] Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to

provide specialised and up-to-date training for law enforcement and judicial authorities tasked

with criminal investigations and criminal proceedings of offences falling within the scope of this

Directive.”

• Article 34: “(1) Member States shall have a system in place for the recording, production and

provision of anonymised statistical data on the criminal offences referred to in Articles 3 to 11 of

this Directive.”

Indeed, to establish a truly harmonised anticorruption framework, the transposition of the new EU

Directive on combating corruption is imperative. However, to maximise its impact from a practical and

operational perspective, the transposition of legislation must be supported by standardised measures

that foster coordinated anti-corruption actions, with a view to strengthening the alignment of European

practices.

Objectives

The proposed project “BLOCKS” intends to provide support to EU Member States in the harmonised

implementation of the new Directive on combating corruption, and to Candidate States in the alignment

to EU standards, within the specific context of their accession process under Chapters 23 and 24 of the

Acquis.

To reach this goal, the project proposal has three specific objectives:

(1) Elaborating a harmonised data collection toolkit to gather statistical data on corruption offences

(under Articles 3-11, and 34 of the new anti-corruption Directive) across EU MSs and CSs.

(2) Developing a risk assessment methodological toolkit to identify sectors and occupations most at

risk of corruption (under Article 22 of the new anti-corruption Directive), both at public and private

level, to target prioritised interventions;

(3) Designing evidence-based training materials regarding:

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 4

a. corruption offences and their manifestations targeting personnel operating in sectors and

occupations found at-risk, to strengthen their expertise (under Article 24 of the new anti-

corruption Directive);

b. toolkits and instruments developed in the framework if the BLOCKS and qAID projects, to

guide the relevant stakeholder—both at public and private level—through their correct use,

ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of the projects results.

(4) Enhancing institutional resilience and capacity-building by providing open access tools and

knowledge through the EU’s first integrated anticorruption platform.

The proposed project thereby aims to strengthen the standardisation of cross-border and EU-level

operational responses to corruption by detecting at-risk situations through evidence-based tools and

methodologies. Nonetheless, the project’s objective is to promote institutional resilience and operational

capacity of EU MSs to comply with the new Directive and of CSs to align to EU standards within the context

of EU enlargement, by providing them toolkits to further enhance the fight against corruption across

Europe.

Work Packages

WP1 – Management and coordination of the action. Leader: UNITRENTO (M1-M24).

• Work Package description

To manage and coordinate the action.

• Tasks description

Task Timing Scope Main contributors

T1.1 M1-M24 Establishment of project organisation and procedures All partners

T1.2 M1-M24 Kik-off meeting and mid-term meeting All partners

T1.3 M1-M24 Monitoring of deliverables, milestones, and progress reports WP leaders

T1.4 M1-M24 Financial and administrative coordination All beneficiaries

WP2 – Data collection toolkit. Leader: UNITRENTO (M3-M9).

• Work Package description

To develop a standardised toolkit for the recording, production and provision of anonymised statistical

data on the criminal offences. A set of guidelines will support the correct completion and usage of a data

collection matrix, in order to generate a comprehensive and user-friendly framework. The toolkit will be

tested in a predefined number of EU Member and Candidate Countries. The piloting phase will allow to

probe the validity and the adaptability of the tool in different national contexts, and to finalise the

developed matrix. Moreover, an additional outcome are guidelines for the correct collection of statistical

data on corruption offences, adding recommendations and suggestions to build an efficient and

comprehensive database.

• Tasks description

Task Timing Scope Main contributors

T2.1 M3-M5

Based on Articles 3 to 11 of the new EU Directive on Combating

corruption, this task aims to create a standardised

categorisation of corruption criminal offences. The objective will

UNITRENTO

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 5

be achieved through a systematic reconstruction of the existent

corruption juridical categories across Europe. Mapping the

legislation of the European Countries—focusing on the pilot

ones—will allow to develop a standardised set of corruption

categories to harmonise the systematic collection of data on

criminal offences, making data comparable across Europe.

T2.2 M5-M7

The task aims to develop a data collection toolkit on corruption

criminal offences, dismissed court cases, non-trial resolutions,

natural persons (public officials and high officials) and legal

persons prosecuted, convicted and fined. The toolkit will take

into consideration statistical data of the previous 5 years to

enable also time-based data comparability.

UNITRENTO

T2.3 M7-M9

The task is dedicated to the pilot phase of the data collection

toolkit in a predefined set of pilot countries—both Member and

Candidate States. The task envisages the involvement of the

anticorruption agencies, part of the consortium as Associated

partners. The agencies task is to complete the developed matrix

and to return it with comments and suggestions for refinement.

After the analysis of the results, a set of guidelines on how to

correctly collect statistical data on corruption offences will be

designed, adding recommendations and suggestions to build an

efficient and comprehensive database on corruption offences.

UNITRENTO – RAI –

Associated partners

• Deliverables

Deliverable Task sources

D2.1 – Data collection toolkit T2.1; T2.2

D2.2 – Piloting results (not public) T2.3

D2.3 – Recommendations and guidelines T2.3

WP3 – Risk assessment methodological toolkit. Leader: CSD. (M8-M14)

• Work Package description

To develop a risk assessment methodological toolkit aimed to identify sectors and occupations most at

risk of corruption. The toolkit will be piloted in the same EU Member and Candidate States covered in

Work Package 2. The testing phase will ensure the ability of the toolkit to identify specific sectors and

occupations at risk of corruption, both at public and private level.

• Tasks description

Task Timing Scope Main contributors

T3.1 M8-M10

The task objective is to map the state of the art on risk

assessment methodologies and risk indicators in the field of

anticorruption, both at public and private level.

CSD

T3.2 M10-M12

The task aims to develop a risk assessment methodological

toolkit capable of identifying at-risk sectors and occupations

within a specific organisation, both at private and public level.

CSD

T3.3 M12-M14

The task is dedicated to the pilot phase of the risk assessment

methodological toolkit developed in the previous phase. This

moment envisages the involvement of the anticorruption

agencies, part of the consortium as Associated partners. The

CSD – RAI –

Associated partners

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 6

agencies are required to use the toolkit and provide suggestion

for its refinement. A set of guidelines on the correct use of the

risk assessment methodological toolkit will be designed to

ensure the maximisation of its efficiency.

• Deliverables

Deliverable Task sources

D3.1 – Mapping risk assessment toolkits and indicators on corruption T3.1

D3.2 – Risk assessment methodological toolkit T3.2

D3.3 – Guidelines T3.3

WP4 – Training protocol and activities. Leader: RAI (M14-M21).

• Work Package description

To elaborate a standard evidence-based training model for sectors and occupations at-risk identified

through the risk assessment methodological toolkit. The model will be tested in the pilot countries’ at-risk

sectors and occupations. After refinement, the training model will be enclosed in a protocol to ensure its

replicability by the anticorruption agencies.

• Tasks description

Task Timing Scope Main contributors

T4.1 M14-M16

The task objective is to define contents and modalities of the

training activities. The identification of the risk sectors and

occupations sets the starting point to design country-based

training materials and activities aimed to increase awareness of

corruption manifestations and their consequences, as well as the

impact at a personal and organisational level.

RAI

T4.2 M17-M20

The task aims to carry out the training activities and disseminate

the materials designed in the previous phase. The task is going to

be achieved with the cooperation of the anticorruption agencies,

part of the consortium as Associated partners, who are the point

of contact with the at-risk sectors and occupations to be trained.

RAI – Associated

partners

T4.3 M20-M21

The task aims to elaborate a training protocol to ensure the

training activity to be reproduced. The protocol consists of a

guideline to build tailored training activities and materials. The

training protocol assures the sustainability of the project as the

anticorruption agencies are in possess of the necessary materials

to reproduce the process periodically.

RAI

WP5 – Anticorruption platform and dissemination. Leader: UNITRENTO – with the support of RAI (M3-

M24)

• Work Package description

To ensure the effective dissemination of the project results to relevant communities and stakeholders, to

promote the developed tools and maximise the project’s impact. The objective is going to be achieved

also through the designing of the first EU integrated anticorruption platform with complete open access

to the existing anticorruption materials developed in the framework of BLOCKS and other related EU

projects.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 7

• Tasks description

Task Timing Scope Main contributors

T5.1 M3-M24 Design and implementation of the project communication strategy

and dissemination plan All partners

T5.2 M3-M24

Design of the first EU integrated anticorruption platform,

composed of the following sections:

a. Statistical data on corruption offences;

b. Database of the more significant corruption court cases;

c. Tools section storing the operational results of BLOCKS,

qAID and other projects focusing on corruption (e.g.

SceMaps, Private Corruption Barometer and others) and,

when available, providing training on the correct use of

the materials.

UNITRENTO - RAI

T5.3 M3-M24 Networking and dissemination events All beneficiaries

T5.4 M3-M24 Organising an international conference (in Brussels) All partners

Proposed consortium

Coordinator

• UNITRENTO [Department: eCrime and/or CSSC, TBD] - University of Trento (Italy)

Co-beneficiaries

• CSD – Centre for the Study of Democracy (Bulgaria)

• RAI - Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Associated partners

• TBD

The consortium seeks to involve a wide network of anticorruption agencies from Member and Candidate

States to strengthen the feasibility of the project and the effectiveness of its results.

For additional information, please see the next page.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 8

Participating as Associated partner: key FAQ and practical details

• What is the expected level of involvement/commitment for the anticorruption agencies as

Associated partners?

Anticorruption agencies are involved as key strategic stakeholders and end-users. Their expected

involvement consists of providing operational feedback and guidance based on their field experience.

Specifically, agencies will be asked to review and test the project outputs to ensure they meet actual

operational needs. This collaborative dialogue requires limited staff effort but is essential to guarantee

the practical feasibility and real-world impact of the project.

The following table details the involvement in each Work Package.

Work Package Task

WP1 Representatives will participate in the kick-off and mid-term meetings.

WP2 Anticorruption agencies will participate in the WP’s piloting phase by completing the shared

data matrix and providing structured feedback and recommendations.

WP3 Anticorruption agencies will test the developed risk assessment methodological toolkit and

provide technical feedback and suggestions for its improvement.

WP4 Anticorruption agencies will act as the key liaison between target at-risk sectors/occupations

and consortium partners responsible for delivering training activities and materials.

WP5

Anticorruption agencies will be asked to provide feedback and suggestions for the

improvement of the EU integrated anticorruption platform.

Representatives from anticorruption agencies will participate in the final international

conference in Brussels.

• What kind of administrative and/or financial obligations do the Associated partners have?

Participation as an Associated partner entails no administrative or financial obligations. While Associated

partners do not hold a direct project budget, all eligible expenses associated with their participation, such

as travel and accommodation costs, will be borne directly by the consortium's beneficiaries.

• The participation as Associated partner entails legal bindings with the European Commission or the

Consortium?

No, Associated partners do not enter any legally binding commitments with either the European

Commission or the Consortium. Since Associated partners are not required to sign the Grant Agreement

or the Consortium Agreement, they bear no legal obligations or financial liabilities.

However, the involvement of anticorruption agencies as Associated partners greatly strengthens both

project feasibility and the value returned to the agencies themselves. By contributing their operational

insights, agencies ensure the project delivers highly tailored, effective tools that directly bolster their

institutional capacity in the fight against corruption.

• What are the requirements for participation?

To participate as Associated partners, organisations need to provide their PIC number, along with the

details of a contact person and their email address.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 9

About us

The University of Trento, founded in 1962, ranks among the top Italian and European universities for

research impact, innovation and teaching quality, with a strong international outlook.

Since early 2021, the Centre for Security and Crime Sciences (CSSC), a joint initiative of the University of

Trento and the University of Verona, conducts advanced applied research and high-level training activities

in a strongly interdisciplinary manner. Administratively based at the University of Trento, it is directed by

Prof. Andrea Di Nicola and coordinated by professors and researchers from departments of both

universities.

CSSC adopts a strongly inter/multi-disciplinary approach to security issues and their global challenges. In

particular, it focuses on the implementation of 1) complex, interdisciplinary, applied research projects at

the national and international level; and 2) high-level education courses for graduates and professionals

on safety and security issues and their challenges in a global society. It does so by integrating knowledge

from a wide range of disciplines, including criminology, law, statistics, mathematics, sociology,

information sciences, the humanities, engineering, economics, medicine, psychology and cognitive

sciences, physics, and biology. Members of CSSC are professors and researchers of the two Universities

who are experts in the field from their respective domains. CSSC grows form the experience of different

research groups dealing with crime and security issues within both the Universities of Trento and Verona.

Among these, eCrime, the research group on eCriminology of the Department “Faculty of Law” of the

University of Trento.

Founded in 2011, eCrime is the research group on digital criminology within the Faculty of Law, University

of Trento. It has been among the pioneers in studying the intersection of organised crime, illicit markets

and digitalisation. Coordinated by Prof. Andrea di Nicola and Dr. Gabriele Baratto, the group has built over

a decade of specialised expertise in organised crime, corruption, human and drug trafficking. eCrime

brings together multiple disciplines – including criminology, law, statistics, information sciences, and

others – to conduct applied research on crime and security in today’s digital society. It addresses both

traditional and emerging forms of crime and security using innovative methods and tools. It was among

the first research groups to explore the intersection between organised crime, illicit activities and

markets, and digitalisation and the digital society, thereby developing extensive knowledge and expertise

across a range of topics. Since its establishment, eCrime has coordinated or participated in more than

twenty national, European, and international research projects, most of which have focused on the impact

and relevance of digital tools—including web platforms and social media—on criminal and illicit processes

and activities. Its flexible structure brings together members from within the University of Trento—

professors, researchers, fellows, doctoral candidates, and collaborators—as well as external Italian and

international scholars from other universities and organisations.

Together, CSSC and eCrime have developed strong, practically oriented competences in the fight against

corruption: they have contributed to design and build investigative tools, data-collection and monitoring

platforms, risk-assessment methodologies and training materials on corruption, organised crime,

counterfeiting, hate speech and cybercrime. This work is carried out in close and ongoing collaboration

with policymakers, including national ministries and the European Commission, as well as law

enforcement agencies and prosecutors, international organisations, and civil society organisations across

the EU, through numerous EU-funded action grants.

The document is for internal use only \ Please keep it confidential 10

Contacts

For any further information, or to confirm your interest in joining the project, please contact:

Gabriele Baratto

Assistant Professor of Criminology

Scientific coordinator of eCrime, Department 'Faculty of Law' | University of Trento

Member of the Centre for Security and Crime Sciences | University of Trento - University of Verona

phone: +39 0461 282374

mobile: +39 320 3256807

email: [email protected]

Andrea Di Nicola

Full Professor of Criminology

Scientific coordinator of eCrime, Department 'Faculty of Law' | University of Trento

Director of the Centre for Security and Crime Sciences | University of Trento - University of Verona

phone: +39 0461 281823

mobile: +39 349 4575059

email : [email protected]

CSSC – Centre for Security and Crime Sciences

phone: +39 0461 282336

email: [email protected]

eCrime – ICT, Law and Criminology

phone: +39 0461 282336

email: [email protected]