This is the seventh consecutive Corruption Assessment Report providing
an overview of the state and dynamics of corruption in Bulgaria and
Bulgarian anti-corruption policy. It analyzes the main opportunities and
challenges of the anti-corruption process in the context of Bulgaria’s
approaching accession to the EU.
The report builds on regular monitoring of the spread of corruption,
its trends, evaluations of the anti-corruption efforts and initiatives
implemented by government institutions and by civil society, as well
as a number of suggestions and ecommendations on anti-corruption
measures. 2005 marked a reversal of the positive trend in the decline
of corruption since 1998, while still emaining at half the level of
seven years ago. This development suggests that “soft” anti-corruption
measures have exhausted their potential and more effective approaches
to counteract and prevent corruption must be found, especially at the
administrative and political levels. These should be supported through
a corruption monitoring and assessment by civil society of the public
sector, articularly the agencies administering EU’s structural funds. The
report also refers to external risks which could emerge after Bulgaria’s
accssion to the EU.