Corruption in Romania is a serious systemic problem, according to the anti-corruption report of the EC. Although the anti-corruption struggle has seen an upward trend in recent years, and the investigations of the National Anticorruption Directorate (NAD) have led to a former prime minister's trial in 2015 and other important public representatives, corruption still affects many aspects of life. The US Department of State's report on human rights practices highlights that bribes has remained an ordinary thing in the public sector. Romania and Bulgaria are the only EU members monitored through the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification. The MCV was established at the time Romania joined the European Union in 2007 to remedy the shortcomings of judicial reform and the fight against corruption.