Transparency International in a report presented in Bucharest on 31 March said that while Romania has strengthened its institutional capability to combat corruption and adopted laws in that respect, the country has done very little to tackle major perpetrators of graft, Romanian media reported.

The report said only "small and middle-sized" offenders have been punished.

"Tackling big corruption cases is crucial for changing the corruption perception, both at home and abroad," said Adrian Savin, an expert with Transparency International's Romanian branch, Reuters reported.

The report also stated that little has been done to ensure the judiciary's independence from other state authorities. According to the report, Romania ranks among what it calls "high political corruption" countries, such as Angola, Nigeria, and Panama.

(RFE/RL 01.iv.04)