Corruption dogs the Balkans’ countries, who now want to join the European Union and there is a more urgent need to pursue and prosecute, the U.S. news agency Associated Press assessed.

In a column dubbed “Wherever you look, corruption dogs the Balkans” AP stated that, though some say the corruption on the Balkans is endemic, others see progress.

“For many years, organized crime and corruption encountered few obstacles preventing their growth or stunting their influence in southeastern Europe,” says Balkan political analyst Misha Glenny.

“That is now changing largely because of the conditions imposed by the European Union on regional governments to clean up their acts,” Glenny underscored.

Former and current leaders of Croatia, Montenegro and Kosovo are fighting the accusations, but nerves are being rattled far beyond nation’ borders, AP said, naming Bulgaria and Romania as an example, who are under pressure from Brussels to fight graft and bribery more than three years after joining the EU.

According to AP, that slows down the process of EU enlargement deeper into the Balkans.