Romania ranks, for the third year in a row, among the EU countries with the ”weakest” results in combating corruption, scoring 46 out of 100 points, on par with Malta, according to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International.
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reflects how independent experts and business people perceive the existing corruption in the public sector of 180 countries and territories. The ranking is compiled by awarding points, from 0 to 100, where zero means ”very corrupt,” and 100 means ”not corrupt at all.”
''What is concerning for 2024 is that the level of corruption globally continues to be very high, while efforts to combat this phenomenon are decreasing. The lack of strong measures against corruption has serious repercussions globally in essential areas such as defending democracy, upholding the rule of law, protecting the environment, and combating climate change, promoting and protecting human rights,'' Transparency International stated in a press release on Tuesday.
The European Union has among the highest scores in the CPI ranking. However, in 2024, the EU average is 62 points, a decrease of two points compared to previous years.
''At the level of the European Union countries, we can observe a trend of stagnation or even decline in anti-corruption efforts, which decisively contributes to compromising the rule of law, circumventing access to justice, diminishing the level of public integrity. All these aspects have a negative impact on the daily lives of citizens, whether we refer to the poor quality of public services, exposure to corrupt practices, or environmental harm through illegal practices,'' Transparency International argues.
Countries with the largest decline
In the 2024 CPI ranking, within the European Union, Denmark (90 points), Finland (88 points), and Luxembourg (81 points) lead the way.
''For the third year in a row, Romania scores 46 out of 100 possible points, on par with Malta, and is among the European Union countries with the weakest results in combating corruption,'' according to Transparency International.
Within the EU, the largest decline in the CPI ranking in the past year is seen in Germany (75 points, down by 3 points from 2023), Austria and France (67 points, down by 4 points from 2023), Slovakia (49 points, down by 5 points from 2023), and Malta (46 points, down by 5 points from 2023).
Although among the few countries in the European Union that have maintained a stable score in the CPI ranking, Romania is well below the EU average. According to Transparency International's methodology, scores below 50 points are unacceptably low.
Recommendations for Romania
At the national level, Transparency International Romania's recommendations include:
- Implementing Integrity Pacts as a widely used tool for monitoring public procurement, including green public procurement, to avoid corruption risks and promote trust in key public contracting projects, emphasizing the importance of civic monitoring of how public money is spent, the fairness of this process, and accountability for investment projects;
- Increasing awareness among citizens about the importance of applying Law no. 361/2022 on the protection of whistleblowers in the public interest, especially in areas mentioned in article 3 where law violations can be reported, such as public procurement, preventing money laundering and terrorism financing, environmental protection, public health;
- Updating legislation in the field of public integrity to address current legislative gaps and inconsistencies and improve the clarity of public integrity regulations;
- Government commitment to an anti-corruption program that will lead Romania to achieve a score of at least 50 points in the Corruption Perceptions Index by 2027;
- Implementing non-formal and informal education programs dedicated to students that contribute to building a strong civic culture, as well as understanding basic concepts of democratic principles, individual rights, ethics, and integrity in society.