Ioan Niculae

The new report issued on Tuesday by the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption, GRECO, said the Balkan country had improved its work to combat bribery and influence-trading, but hasn't achieved any progress in making political funding more transparent.

This is Council of Europe second compliance report on Romania; the first was issued in 2010.

Romania's Supreme Court on Thursday jailed super-rich businessman Ioan Niculae for two years and six months for illegaly financing one of the main candidates in the 2009 presidential campaign.