For many years corruption has been viewed as a problem only of developing countries whereas the European Union on the contrary looked like a stronghold of the rule of law, exporting good governance and principles of good quality government both to its peripheries and worldwide. Many European countries indeed remain among the best governed countries in the world. However, old member countries like Italy and Greece have regressed, while the EU enlargement incorporated new member countries like Bulgaria and Rumania with unfinished transitions. Countries like Serbia and Montenegro that have started EU accession negotiatons, are heavily burdened with state capture as the root of widespread corruption. State captue means that particular vested interests – organized in political parties - seize decisive influence over the state institutions and public companies. While in Serbia corruption such as bribery and embezzlement seem to be tackled and persecuted, in Serbia the capture of the state by a small group of parties continues.
For accession to the European Union it is decisive that corruption and its roots in state capture and partocracy have to be successfully overcome
One of the best research papers on state capture is Vesna Pešić‘s study from 2007 State capture and widespread corruption in Serbia.
Vesna Pesić has elaborated this study to her book on Wild Society (available in Serbian language) published with the support of Heinrich Boell Foundation.