This study aims to reveal the connection between corruption and shadow economy, on one hand, and deforestation, on the other. The research considers 131 countries from all over the world, in the timeframe between the years 2012 and 2020, and it reveals that corruption and shadow economy positively influence deforestation. Determinants like democratic governance quality, press freedom, wood export share, and culture are also key factors in implementing the right, efficient countermeasures aimed at reducing the levels of illegal deforestation and sustainably managing the forestland. The importance of this study is to provide a solid quantitative basis to decision-makers that come across this problem of illegal logging through a better, fact-based understanding of the phenomenon.

The aim of this study is to present the trends and effectiveness of money laundering countermeasures from the perspective of a number of suspicious transactions reported to the Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), a number of analysis results submitted to law enforcement authorities, and the typologies of cases in European Union Member States. In order to determine the impact of the joint effort in the fight against money laundering, we used descriptive statistics to process the data and case studies from annual reports of the European FIUs for 2018 and 2019. The results of our study highlight the increase in the number of suspicious transactions notices, as well as in their quality level. There is an increasing tendency towards information exchange between European Union countries regarding the suspicion of money laundering, but there is no stable trend for referring cases to law enforcement and other responsible institutions. Based on the available data, it can be concluded that the EU anti money laundering measures are efficient, but further steps are needed to achieve higher international coordination and cooperation.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the result of the decisions addressed in preventing and combating money laundering by Romania, together with the other member states of the European Union, following the regulations changes in the field. Against the background of technological developments and new threats, regulators have developed rules and procedures to prevent the exploitation of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering, with clear deadlines for transposition into national law. In order to determine the impact of the joint effort in the fight against money laundering, we analyzed the annual reports of European Financial Intelligence Units for 2018 and 2019 and the reports for the last ten years (2011-2020) of the National Office for Preventing and Combating Money Laundering in Romania. Based on the data from these reports, the study presents trends by using, inter alia, descriptive statistics. The results of our study draw attention to the increase in the number of reports of suspicious transactions, the number of cases sent for investigation to the competent authorities, the number of requests for information or dissemination of information to foreign FIUs, the volume of suspended transactions and amounts seized or confiscated by authorities. Although European Union Member States have responded to the obligation to transpose European directives, further steps are needed to create a common framework for action and reporting, so that the combined efforts have real results in line with the expectations of the European institutions. Through the results presented, the study supports governmental and non-governmental entities, highlighting the areas that need immediate attention.