Corruption Perceptions Index 2024
Romania continues to be among the EU countries with the worst results in combating corruption, according to Transparency International.
Mihai Pelin, 12.02.2025, 14:00
Romania continues to be among the EU countries with the worst results in combating corruption, according to Transparency International.
Worrying for 2024 is the fact that the level of corruption globally is still very high, while efforts to combat this plague are decreasing, the non-governmental organization Transparency International reports. The lack of strong measures against corruption has serious repercussions globally in key areas, such as defending democracy, protecting the environment and combating climate change, and promoting and protecting human rights. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2024, anti-corruption efforts in EU countries are stagnating or even declining, which contributes decisively to compromising the rule of law, circumventing access to justice and reducing public integrity. All of these aspects have a negative impact on citizens’ daily lives, whether we are referring to the poor quality of public services, exposure to corruption or the damage to the environment through illegal practices, Transparency International says.
The EU has among the highest scores in the CPI ranking, which is based on data from 13 independent sources, including the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. In 2024, the average is 62 points, down 2 points from previous years. At the top of the ranking are Denmark (90 points), Finland (88 points) and Luxembourg (81 points). At EU level, the biggest decline in the last year was experienced by countries such as Germany (75 points, minus 3 points compared to 2023), Austria and France (67 points, minus 4 points compared to 2023), Slovakia (49 points, minus 5 points compared to 2023) and Malta (46 points, minus 5 points compared to 2023).
Although it is among the few countries that have remained with a stable score in the CPI ranking, Romania is well below the EU average. For the third year in a row, it is among the countries with the ‘worst’ results in combating corruption, with 46 points out of 100, the same as Malta.
Transparency International Romania emphasizes the importance of cooperation between all societal actors, from academia, public institutions and the political class, to the private sector and civil society. At the same time, their constant involvement in the formation of an upstanding society is essential, each having its role and responsibility in combating corruption. At the national level, Transparency International Romania recommends measures such as improving awareness among citizens regarding the importance of applying the Law on the Protection of Whistleblowers in the Public Interest, updating the legislation in the field of public integrity, the government’s commitment to an anti-corruption program that would lift Romania in the CPI ranking to a score of at least 50 points by 2027, and the development of non-formal and informal education programs dedicated to pupils and students.
