In parallel with the development of the 1997 Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, the ECG investigated how bribery was addressed under its Members' national export credit systems. Since the Convention came into force in 1999, the ECG's efforts in this area accelerated, leading to the December 2000 Action Statement.

In May 2006, the Action Statement was enhanced in light of experience gained under the original agreement, and in December 2006, it was transformed into an OECD Recommendation.

The 2006 OECD Recommendation on Bribery and Officially Supported Export Credits obliges Members to take appropriate measures to deter bribery before support is granted. In the event that bribery is uncovered after support has been provided, the Statement requires additional specific measures to be taken.

The ECG continues to monitor developments in this area through an ongoing mapping exercise of Members' specific policies and practices related to bribery and officially supported export credits (see Survey and Responses  for more information).

At the same time, the ECG liaises closely with the OECD Working Group on Bribery in the context of country reviews concerning the implementation of the 1997 Convention.