EC report on justice: Romania will be monitored at least until 2010 , and the safeguard procedure on justice will not be activated

The European Commission’s report on Romania’s justice system was adopted by the Commissioner’s College that decided that Romania should be monitored at least until 2010 when the next report on justice will be released. The main conclusion of the report is that the EC will not activate the safeguard procedure on justice.

The Commission decided to continue its cooperation and monitoring mechanism for the Romanian justice system until at least 2010 when the next report on justice will be released. The Commission’s spokesperson Johannes Laitenberger made several important points in a press conference:

• the report offers a general view on the evolution registered since last year and presents, in general lines, any deficiencies found

• There is a report which shows that the cooperation and monitoring mechanism is working and it produces results

• Both states are currently undergoing important reforms, at a technical level. This advance needs political support in the judicial and anti corruption fight in Romania and against organized crime in Bulgaria

• last year, we expressed our worries regarding anti corruption structures, which are now in place but their implementation is still fragile and the system is pressured by the political environment

• The Commission considers that the mechanism needs to continue until at least 2010

• To guide the two countries, the Commission forwarded a series of recommendations, namely 16 to Romania and 21 to Bulgaria

Romania’s evaluation, according to the Commission’s spokesperson

• The government proved its political engagement by supporting the reform in the system and by passing the Civil and Penal Codes

• Romania’s anti-graft prosecutors maintained their good history in investigating corruption cases

• Reform efforts are still fragmented, the process is too politicized

• Romania  needs to handle a lot of legislative amendments and a lot of emergency ordinances, and there is no surprise that laws are sometimes contradictory. This generates unnecessary delays and mismanagement