Industrial countries not immune to corruption. - Although the world economy is registering the first signs of recovery and countries continue to fight against permanent conflict and insecurity, it clearly appears that no region in the world is being spared the dangers of contamination from corruption. This is the conclusion of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2009 and organised by Transparency International. The results were published on 17 November and analyse the extent of corruption in the public sector in different countries. The vast majority of the 180 countries analysed in the 2009 index obtain a grade of less than five on a scale that begins at zero (high level of corruption detected) and ends at 10 (a low level of corruption detected), which means that the fight against corruption remains essential. Fragile and unstable states, scarred by war and permanent conflicts, unsurprisingly remain at the bottom of the league table. These countries include Somalia (score 1.1), Afghanistan (1.3), Myanmar (1.4), Sudan (1.5) and Iraq (1.5). The countries perceived as being the most corrupt are also those rent apart by lengthy conflicts in which their infrastructure and governance have been destroyed. The highest 2009 CPI grades go to New Zealand (9.4), Denmark (9.3), Singapore (9.2), Sweden (9.2) and Switzerland (9.0). These figures testify to political stability and the resolution of conflicts of interest that have been in place for many years, in addition to public institutions, that are both solid and efficient. Even industrialised countries cannot afford to be complacent. Bribes and corruption are often a result of the activities of companies based in industrialised countries, underlines the study. Certain regional bodies practising secret banking and which have a link with many countries at the head of the CPI study significantly undermine efforts carried out to fight corruption and recover stolen assets, explain the experts pointedly. Although European countries are generally at the top of the league table (12 of them are in the Top 20), Eastern European countries remain poorly placed, particularly countries from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia: 3.0; Serbia: 3.5; Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: 3.8; Montenegro: 3.9; Croatia: 4.1). The European Union member state in lowest position is Bulgaria, with 3.8 points. (I.L./transl.fl)