According to Transparency International, Romania continues to be the most corrupted EU member, although due to the EU membership and the non-activation of the safeguard clauses corruption is perceived as rather diminishing. Romania is the 69th among the 180 states where opinion polls were achieved, but it is the last among the EU members, TI-Romanian claims. It is to be mentioned as bizarre that Romania is rated after countries like Chile (22), Uruguay (25), Botswana (38), Cyprus (39), South Africa (43), Costa Rica (46), Bulgaria and Turkey (64) and even Columbia (68). According to the TI report released in yesterday's press conference, Romania has got 3,7 points in 2007. The mark of the most corrupted state is 1 and 10 goes for the least corrupted state, where corruption is perceived as almost absent. Despite the 0,6-point progress made in the last year, Romania still comes after Bulgaria and even Turkey as far as the spreading of corruption is concerned. The TI experts opined yesterday that this slight progress could continue in case of stabile and efficient Justice. According to Codrut Vrabie, a member of the TI-Romania, final court sentences in corruption cases would be very important, as they would consolidate the perception that the fight against corruption is becoming efficient in Romania. (...) (A.G.)