Romania – under scrutiny by the European Parliament

A resolution by the European Parliament on the rule of law in Romania will be put to vote on Tuesday in Strasbourg, on the same day as the report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for 2018 will be published

Corina Cristea, 12.11.2018, 13:26

For Romania, a member of the European Union since 2007 and due to take over the blocs rotating presidency for the first time on January 1st 2019, this will be a sensitive week. In Strasbourg, the European Parliament will vote on Tuesday on a resolution on the rule of law in Romania, while in Brussels, the European Commission will publish its report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for 2018.

The draft resolution is reportedly critical of the Romanian parliament and government and was drawn up by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and by representatives of the political groups in the European Parliament. The changes made by the Romanian parliament and government in areas such as justice and the fight against corruption, as well as the freedom of expression and the situation of NGOs are under scrutiny.

Moreover, the draft resolution condemns what it describes as the violent and disproportionate intervention of the security forces at the protest of the Romanian diaspora on 10th August against the government and the Social Democratic Party, the main force in the ruling coalition in Bucharest.

The document voices concerns about Romanias new judicial and criminal legislation, regarding specifically its potential to structurally undermine the independence of the judicial system and the capacity to fight corruption effectively in Romania, as well as to weaken the rule of law. The document calls on the Romanian authorities to counter any measures which would decriminalise corruption in office, and to apply the national anti-corruption strategy.

It also urges the Romanian Parliament and Government to fully implement all recommendations of the European Commission, GRECO and the Venice Commission, and to refrain from conducting any reform which would put at risk respect for the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary. Tuesday will also see the publication of the report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism which was activated after Romanias entry into the EU to monitor its judiciary.

According to the media, the upcoming report will be particularly tough. It appears that it maintains all 12 recommendations made last year and makes another five as a result of recent changes to the justice laws and the governments emergency orders.

The report is also expected to call for full compliance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission and GRECO, for immediately putting an end to dismissals of prosecutors, re-launching the process to appoint the leadership of the National Anticorruption Directorate and for taking into account the opinion of the Supreme Council of Magistracy when appointing or dismissing chief prosecutors. (Translated by C. Mateescu)