Transparency International's newly released Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2023 reveals a concerning picture of deteriorating anti-corruption efforts in Western Europe and the European Union. For the first time in over a decade, experts and business leaders perceive corruption levels to be worsening across the region. The report evaluates 180 countries and territories based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring them on a scale ranging from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The findings shows that even several high-ranking European democracies attained their lowest scores in the 2023 index as they faced challenges prosecuting foreign bribery cases and issues such as money laundering through banks operating within their borders.
According to it, anti-corruption efforts have stagnated or declined in over 75% of countries within the region. The report clearly manifests the necessity for European governments to intensify efforts against corruption and fortify the rule of law through the adoption of innovative solutions.
While Western Europe and the European Union remains the top-scoring region, its regional average score dropped to 65 this year, as checks and balances weaken and political integrity erodes. Despite improvement in some countries, Sub-Saharan Africa maintains the lowest average at 33, with democracy and the rule of law under pressure. The rest of the world remains stagnant with all other regions having averages under 50. Eastern Europe and Central Asia grapples with the dysfunctional rule of law, rising authoritarianism and systemic corruption. The Middle East and North Africa shows little improvement, reflecting ongoing struggles with political corruption and conflict, and Asia Pacific shows long-term stagnation, although some countries historically at the top are backsliding. Finally, lack of judicial independence and weak rule of law are enabling widespread impunity in the Americas.
This is why projects like CEDAR EU are essential. CEDAR utilises the evolution of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to tackle significant societal issues. By recognizing the current challenges Europe encounters while exploiting the technological opportunities of our era, CEDAR aims to empower governments, civil society, and citizens to effectively prevent corruption, safeguard democratic principles, and build a more transparent and accountable future for Europe.