The coordination of public policies in the area of fighting corruption is a theme that presents significant difficulties. This is not just due to the sensitivity and complexity of this issue but also because it is a cross-cutting theme in which different sectors, institutions and stakeholders are involved.

Likewise, strategies for fighting corruption and economic-financial crimes include a series of key stages (prevention, detection, investigation, proceedings, and recovery of the proceeds of the crime) which, depending on the circumstances, can involve various bodies: tax and customs agencies; authorities in charge of combating money laundering; police and specialised law enforcement institutions; public prosecutor's offices; judicial bodies; and financial regulators. Lack of coordination is a key obstacle for an effective fight against these types of crimes, hence the importance of achieving effective coordination and cooperation between the different institutions involved.

The anti-corruption action of the EUROsociAL II programme of the European Union attempts to address this challenge by promoting inter-agency coordination between the different institutions that intervene in the prosecution and punishment of these types of crimes.

Within the framework of this initiative, a study was conducted of inter-agency coordination experiences in the fight against economic-financial crimes linked to corruption in Latin America and the European Union. This study is oriented towards identification and systematisation of the most significant experiences in this area and formulates recommendations and proposals that may be useful in their eventual transfer and implementation in the Latin American region. The "Transparency and Anti-Corruption" action in the Democratic Institutions area of the European Union's EUROsociAL II programme is being coordinated by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), with COMJIB as its operational partner.