The European Commission accused some EU governments of not taking corruption seriously enough and said a report evaluating each nation’s reponse to graft should force them to act.

“It is clear that there is not enough determination amongst politicians and decision-makers to fight this crime,” said Cecilia Malmstrom, the commission’s chief for home affairs. “With the naming and shaming ... we can achieve a lot.”

Several EU countries are considered to be among the least corrupt in the world, with Denmark holding the first place in rankings by global watchdog Transparency International.

Others, however, lag behind and graft scandals have fueled public anger over fiscal austerity measures taken around Europe to cut debts and cope with an economic crisis.

Sleaze scandals have struck France and Italy in recent years, with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi currently facing fraud and corruption trials as well as accusations of paying for sex with an underage prostitute.

Romania and Bulgaria are trying to join the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone, four years after joining the bloc. But France and Germany have opposed their entry to Schengen because of corruption in the two former communist states.

In Greece, thousands blame graft in public administration for bringing the economy to the brink of collapse. Transparency International sharply downgraded Athens’ ranking last year to a level below that of China, Cuba and Colombia.

Estimates by the European Commission show that public procurement contracts in the EU on average end up costing 20-25 percent more than they should because of decision-makers taking bribes.

Under Monday’s proposal, the Commission will issue reports every two years starting from 2013, drawing on information from international watchdogs and independent experts.

However, it will not propose punitive measures for member states that lag in their anti-graft efforts.

It will also propose legislation in the coming months to improve rules on confiscation of criminal assets and a strategy to bolster criminal financial investigations.