Ethics, transparency and accountability, identified by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe as areas where “there is room for the Council of Europe to promote good practice among its member States”, are essential for building trust in democratic institutions and priority topics for the European Committee on Democracy and Governance (CDDG).

The CDDG is now preparing to updating the 2004 Handbook of good practice on public ethics, developing guidelines on public ethics for all levels of government on the basis of the relevant Council of Europe instruments and best practices and latest developments and measures in member States.

• Special file on Public ethics (1st meeting: 7-8 June 2018)