This special monitoring mechanism was introduced after Romania’s and Bulgaria’s joining the European Union in January 2007 because of the problems faced by the two states in connection with their legal systems and the fight against corruption. European sources say that Romania’s case, where no setbacks have been reported, is largely due to the electoral context, as the last months of 2009 were marked by the campaign for the presidential election. Although provisional, the EU report is indicative of the final report due in summer which Romania hopes will recommend the elimination of its monitoring.
One of the goals of the Boc government is in fact the elimination of Romania’s monitoring after the final report in July. Last week, however, the Romanian justice minister Catalin Predoiu, said this is not, very likely to happen. The current report, which deals mainly with technical issues, refers to the situation in the last 6 months, when Romania has failed to maintain the pace of reform seen in mid 2009 and meet its commitments.
Delays have been also reported in terms of internal parliamentary discussions about the two codes of civil and criminal procedure. The National Anticorruption Directorate has scored some good results and some progress compared to previous years. The catch of the “big fish” has been one of Brussels’s constant requirements. Bucharest is also criticised for its courts’ lenient rulings in big corruption cases, as only minimum penalties are applied in most of these cases.
Moreover, trials are said to drag on too much, with delays of up to 6 months in some cases and unconstitutionality exceptions being much too often raised. As far as positive aspects are concerned, we should note the progress made by the National Integrity Agency, which has expanded its activity and is cooperating with two non-governmental organisations, mainly in prevention activities.
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2025-04-03
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