Edited by Fabrizio Vedana

Our country gains 10 positions in the Transparency International ranking, but critical issues regarding whistleblowing and transparency still remain

Of the 180 countries monitored, Italy gained 3 points compared to 2020 (from 53 to 56/100), tied with Poland and Saint Lucia, which remained stable compared to last year's ranking.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) Transparency International, which monitors corruption in public offices, has published its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranking. Among the 180 countries monitored, Italy has gained 3 points (from 53 to 56/100) and 10 positions (from 52 to 42) compared to 2020, tied with Poland and Saint Lucia, which remained stable compared to last year's ranking. As highlighted in the report, however, critical issues remain regarding whistleblowing and lobbying regulation, as Italy is not yet in compliance with European directives.

Despite the significant leap of 10 positions, due to "strengthened public credibility," the score remains very close to 50, a critical threshold. Indeed, as the NGO reports, countries falling below that threshold are at high risk of a decline "in the protection of human rights, freedom of expression, and a crisis of democracy." This past year, 123 out of 180 countries, two-thirds of the total, have fallen below that threshold. The rankings are calculated using the Corruption Index, developed using 13 analytical tools and surveys of business experts. The final score is determined on a scale ranging from 0 (high level of perceived corruption) to 100 (low level of perceived corruption).

On the anti-corruption and transparency front, several issues remain unresolved. Among the most significant is the delay in transposing European Directive 2019/1937 on whistleblowing, the deadline for which expired in December 2021. This would allow for the completion of the provisions contained in Law 179/2017. Furthermore, the publication of the register of beneficial owners and a regulation on lobbying activities are still pending. Italy's three CPI points were primarily due to the efforts of numerous private sector and civil society stakeholders to promote the values ​​of transparency, anti-corruption, and integrity. The emergency generated by the pandemic has significantly impacted the development of the CPI, since in some cases it has led to a decline in trust in countries that have preferred to remove oversight guarantees, while in others it has led to a strengthening of collective awareness and more robust responses from governments.

It should be noted that globally, Denmark and New Zealand remain at the top of the rankings, joined this year by Finland, with 88 points. At the bottom of the rankings, as last year, are Syria, Somalia, and South Sudan, with scores of 13 for the first two and 11 for the third. However, from 2012 to 2021, 154 countries have made no significant progress or have worsened their scores.

This index is also relevant for anti-money laundering purposes, as it may influence the classification given to foreign entities with which the bank or intermediary will have dealings, as well as the assessment of the origin of funds if they come from countries with a higher risk of corruption.