Corruption is rising in the crisis-hit eurozone, study says

Italy and Greece appear to have growing corruption issues.
In its 2011 Corruptions Perceptions Index, which measures perceived levels of corruption in the public sector, published on the 1 December 2011, Transparency International ranked Italy 69 and Greece 80, compared with their 67 and 78 rankings in 2010. Those are the lowest scores among the 17-member eurozone.

The Berlin-based corruption watchdog believes rising debt problems of these and other members of the common currency zone are partly to blame for the creeping corruption.

Overall in the European Union the poorest results for corruption were recorded in Bulgaria and Romania. Finland and Sweden headed the list as the least corrupt nations in the European Union.

The 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in 183 countries and territories around the world.

EurActiv, 2.12.11: Corruption creeping up in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania: TI http://www.euractiv.com/justice/corruption-creeping-bulgaria-greece-romania-ti-news-509380

Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2011 http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/

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