Brussels, 17/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - Corruption is not established in Denmark, as the annual report from Transparency International (TI) published on Tuesday 17 November reveals. Four EU countries feature among the 10 least corrupt countries in the Corruption Perception Index of 180 countries: Denmark (2nd), Sweden (3rd), Finland and the Netherlands (6th equal). Denmark comes just behind New Zealand at world level. The NGO Transparency International says that developed countries must do more to tackle corruption at international level, for example on banking secrecy, which allows the transfer of dirty money. “Corrupt money must not find safe haven. It is time to put an end to excuses,” said Chair of TI Huguette Labelle. As is the case every year, fragile, unstable states scarred by war and ongoing conflict are the ones perceived to be most corrupt, with Afghanistan and Somalia the worst. The other EU countries are ranked thus: Luxembourg (12th), Germany and Ireland (14th ), Austria (16th), the United Kingdom (17th), Belgium (21st), France (24th), Cyprus, Estonia and Slovenia (27th), Spain (32nd), Portugal (35th), Malta (45th), Hungary (46th), Poland (49th), the Czech Republic and Lithuania (52nd), Latvia and Slovakia (56th), Italy (63rd), Greece, Bulgaria and Romania (71st). (B.C./transl.rt)