Report unveils EU’s ‘most corrupt’ countries

While Denmark and Sweden are Europe’s ‘cleanest’ countries, Bulgaria is perceived as the ‘most corrupt’ after having regressed “significantly” since last year, reveals Transparency International’s 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). Romania ranked a close second behind Bulgaria.

The study, which is based on a number of expert and business surveys on perceived levels of corruption in the public sector, sheds light on a “disturbing” increase in corruption levels in a number of wealthier nations, including some EU countries. 

Noting the “backslide”, Transparency International (TI) chair Huguette Labelle calls for “a tougher approach to tackling corruption”. 

Finland, the UK, France, Portugal, Italy, and Bulgaria saw the biggest declines in their CPI scores over one year, while Cyprus made a major leap forward, progressing from a figure of 5.3 to 6.4 out of a potential 10 points. 

According to the paper, significant decreases in the performances of some countries, including the UK and Norway, stem from a lack of regulation of the private sector, in addition to insufficient control of financial institutions and transactions. 

The decline of some wealthy European exporting states further highlights the broad failure of rich governments to address “the questionable methods of their companies in acquiring and managing overseas business,” the report notes. 

What’s more, the “continuing emergence of foreign bribery scandals” reflects “a broader failure by the world’s wealthiest countries to live up to the promise of mutual accountability in the fight against corruption,” says Labelle. “This sort of double standard is unacceptable and disregards international legal standards,” she added. 

The TI study made the headlines in the Bulgarian press, where the government was recently faced with the prospect of having its EU funding cut off following a series of corruption scams (EURACTIV 24/07/08). 

The daily Dnevnik, EURACTIV’s partner in Bulgaria, quotes Dimitar Kyumyurdjiev from Transparency International as having criticised the Bulgarian government for asking corrupt officials to leave office instead of launching legal action against them. 

In Romania, which scored second-worst in the EU, the TI study was largely overshadowed by the recent sacking of a government minister over corruption allegations (EURACTIV 23/09/08). 

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