Integrity as a Tool to Prevent Conflict of Interest in Public Procurement

In public procurement there are several risks of conflict of interest that, if not managed properly, can turn into cases of corruption. To tackle these risks, public administrations have at their disposal different means to prevent such conflicts, and therefore corrupt practices. The effectiveness of these tools is closely related to the recognition of integrity as a legal principle in order to guarantee the completeness, coherence and rectitude of the performance of public office and employees, consistent with their framework of reference. This paper examines ways to prevent, to detect and to solve conflicts of interest and to guarantee integrity in public procurement.