Corruption is the abuse of a position of trust in a function in business, administration or politics in order to obtain a material or immaterial advantage to which there is no legally justified entitlement. In terms of criminal law, corruption is bribery and corruptibility, the acceptance and granting of advantages. Corruption in public administration not only undermines citizens' trust in the functionality and integrity of public authorities and their employees, but also favors the enrichment of individuals at the expense of the general public. Corrupt practices should be identified, prosecuted and punished at an early stage. In recent years, many binding standards have been introduced to prevent and combat corruption. They serve as a guideline for the conduct of all employees and at the same time provide guidance and assistance for necessary measures to prevent and combat corruption.

It is the responsibility of every public administration to take appropriate preventive measures to stop corruption in any form. The area of procurement (centralized and decentralized) is naturally one of the areas classified as particularly at risk of corruption and is therefore subject to special monitoring The Ministry of the Interior and Local Government provides further information on this topic on the Combating Corruption page.