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Tag: CPI

Corruption Perceptions Index 2024

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.

12 February 2025
January 31, 2024 UPDATE

PROTESTS In Romania, local administration
staff in rural areas were on a token strike on Wednesday, with demands
primarily related to salaries. According to trade unions, almost 11,000
employees in over 800 town halls in the country signed for the protest. Unionists threaten with an all-out strike
starting on February 5 unless their demands are met. On the other hand, trade
unions in the healthcare sector announced they would carry on protests, as the
government’s current offer to raise salaries by 13.9% this year is not what
they had expected. Solidaritatea Sanitară Union Federation notified the
government of their plans to go on an all-out strike. According to the
federation, under the law the government has 10 days to negotiate with the unions
and avoid a labour dispute.

DEFICIT Romania ended the year 2023 with a
budget deficit of 5.68% of the GDP, as against the 4.4% originally forecast
when the state budget for last year was drawn up. The deficit is however below
the 6.3% estimated by the European Commission in its forecast. According to
data supplied by the Finance Ministry, the difference between revenues and
expenditure was almost EUR 18 bln.

REPORT With 46 points out of 100, Romania
remains one of the EU countries with the poorest results in the implementation
of anti-corruption measures, according to Transparency International’s annual
Corruption Perceptions Index. The organisation’s recommendations for Romania
include updating the legislation in the field of public integrity, improving
organisational and decision-making transparency, standardising and clarifying
administrative procedures.

EU
Romanian President Klaus Iohannisis in Brussels to take part in a
ceremony organised by the European Commission in memory of Jacques Delors (1925
– 2023), a former European Commission president between 1985 and 1995, and to
attend an extraordinary meeting of the European Council on Thursday. The
Council meeting will focus on an agreement on the main elements of the proposed
revision of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework. The most important
decisions are the support for Ukraine, including military support under the
European Peace Facility, in keeping with the country’s needs. Klaus Iohannis
will firmly plead for Ukraine to remain a top priority on the EU agenda.

VISIT The Turkish foreign minister, Hakan
Fidan, was on a visit to Bucharest, for a meeting with his Romanian counterpart
Luminiţa Odobescu. The Turkish official also had talks with Prime Minister
Marcel Ciolacu and the Senate Speaker, Nicolae Ciucă. According to the Turkish
media, Hakan Fidan is meeting with his counterparts in Albania, Bulgaria and
Romania ‘to discuss bilateral relations, as well as current regional and global
developments’. Romania and Turkey signed a Strategic Partnership in 2011,
followed by a joint action plan, signed in 2013 by the two countries’ foreign
ministers. (AMP)

31 January 2024
January 30, 2024

PRESIDENCY – Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, will be in
Brussels on Wednesday and Thursday for a ceremony paying tribute to Jaques
Delors (1925-2023), former European Commission president over 1985-1995, and
for a special meeting of the European Council. The main topic on Thursday’s
Council meeting is securing consensus at community level over the main elements
in the package set to reform the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework. The
most anticipated decisions regard support for Ukraine at all levels, including
military assistance via the European Peace Facility, in line with Ukraine’s
specific needs. President Iohannis will firmly argue in favor of Ukraine
remaining a top priority on the EU agenda.

IMF – A special IMF delegation led by Jan Kees Martijn is in
Bucharest to conduct a new assessment of the economy. The mission takes places
four months after the previous visit and has an advisory role. The IMF
estimates a 2.3% economic growth for Romania this year and a budget deficit of
6% of the GDP. IMF experts have urged Bucharest to implement additional
reforms, particularly in the field of taxation. Last autumn, the IMF argued
that Romanian authorities should first and foremost seek to eliminate tax
exemptions and privileges, implement more efficient VAT-related measures,
reform property taxes and encourage the transition to a carbon-neutral economy.
Romania has no standing agreement with the IMF at present.

TRAINS – The Transport Ministry is today signing a 640-mln-EUR
contract for the purchase of 62 new electric short-track trains. The contract
will be signed with the Polish manufacturer PESA, the same company expected to
deliver 20 long-track trains in early 2026, as per the contract signed in
December 2023. The trains will enter circulation on the main electric rails or
segments that underwent modernization works in western and northwestern
Romania. Romania purchased another 37 electric trains from Alstom, France. On
Monday, the Transport Ministry signed a contract with the French company worth
150 mln EUR, for the purchase of 16 new electric engines.

CPI – The 2023 Corruption
Perception Index, published by Transparency International, shows that most
countries have reported little to no progress in combating public sector
corruption. The EU as a whole is either stagnant or showing signs of decline in
this respect. The EU average in the last five years stood at 64. With a score
of 46, Romania remains one of the underperformers at EU level, alongside
Bulgaria (45) and Hungary (42), which reflects a dysfunctional rule of law.
Anti-corruption measures continued to be undermined by weakened checks and
balances. In several countries, including Romania, there are huge gaps between
legal provisions and the way they are enforced, the document states. With
respect to Romania, Transparency International recommends updating legislation
in the field of public integrity, improving organizational and decision-making
transparency, including through efficient public consultations and improving
access to public information.

PROTESTS – Farmers’ protests
continue across Europe. Farmers continue to voice complaints regarding
environment policies, fuel excises and unfair competition. In France, farmers
have blocked the main motorways in and out of Paris and other large cities,
warning they won’t leave unless their demands are met. President Emmanuel
Macron on Thursday is expected to present a number of proposals on the
sidelines of the European Council summit in Brussels. Today, the French
government is expected to take a number of decisions to help farmers. Paris has
accused some EU partners such as Spain or Italy of unfair competition, France
Presse and EFE report. German farmers on Monday blocked access roads on several
segments across the country, particularly in the Hamburg region, disgruntled
with the government’s decision to scrap diesel tax breaks. Farmers’ protests
have also been reported in Greece and North Macedonia.

CHAMPIONSHIPS – A total of eight
athletes will represent Romania at the World Aquatics Championships hosted by
Doha over February 2-18, five in swimming events and three in diving. The big
absentee is swimmer David Popovici, European champion in the 100m and 200m
freestyle events. Constantin Popovici, the defending high diving world champion,
and Cătălin Preda, world vice-champion, will lead the Romanian delegation. (VP)

30 January 2024
January 29, 2019

FLU The Public Healthcare Ministry is to decide whether conditions are met to declare a flu epidemic in Romania. One such condition is that, for 3 weeks, the number of cases confirmed must be higher than the number of cases estimated. The National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control announced that 48 people have died from the flu this season. None of the victims had been immunised against the disease.

DIPLOMACY President Klaus Iohannis has said today, at a meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions in Bucharest, that he will do everything in his power to ensure that the values of the rule of law, of liberal democracy and of an independent and efficient judiciary are not affected. The president vowed that, regardless of the very dynamic domestic political situation, all decision makers will join efforts to ensure the proper fulfilment of Romanias role as holder of the presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2019. He reiterated that Schengen accession remains a priority for Romania. Also, according to the head of state, Bucharests candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council is quite strong. As for strengthening the strategic partnership with the US, Klaus Iohannis said this remain a foreign policy priority for Romania.

UN Romanias permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ion Jinga, has chaired the last meeting of the Peace Building Commission held under the Romanian presidency of the commission which started on January 31st, 2018. The PBC 2018 Annual Report was officially adopted on this occasion. The document looks at the efforts made by the PBC Presidency last year in implementing the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions with respect to revising the peace building architecture. The report reflects the fulfilment of the priorities undertaken by Romania upon taking over the PBC presidency, as well as a number of first-time accomplishments of the Commission in 2018. The Romanian Ambassador explained that “the positive results during the Romanian presidency were possible thanks to the joint commitment of all member states, while also complying with the fundamental principle of preserving national decision-making and leadership.

CORRUPTION Transparency International Tuesday presented its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks 180 countries by their public sector corruption levels as decided by consulting experts and business communities. According to the 2018 report, Romania ranks 61st in the world, with 47 points, down 2 places since 2017. Transparency Internationals index uses a 0 to 100 scale, with 0 standing for extremely high corruption and 100 for no corruption at all. Out of the 28 EU member states, Romania is 24th. The top positions in the global ranking are held by Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland.

BREXIT Britains PM Theresa May appears before Parliament again today, to present the next steps planned in the countrys withdrawal from the European Union. A first draft of the agreement she had suggested was rejected by a large parliamentary majority 2 weeks ago. This time however, British MPs were able to table amendments which, if endorsed, pave the way for various scenarios, from postponing the exit date to holding a second referendum on the topic. More than 10 amendments have been submitted. The Government announced that a second vote on the withdrawal deal would be held shortly, and British media already speak about February 13th as the date of the new vote.

EUROVISION Romania will compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 16th, alongside Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, the Republic of Moldova, Latvia, Denmark and Armenia, according to the drawing held in Tel Aviv. On February 17th, Romania will announce its representative in the 2019 edition of Eurovision, hosted by Israel. Romanias best performances in this competition so far have been 2 third places (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem in Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi in Oslo, 2010) and a fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu in Athens, 2006).

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

29 January 2019