Mark Gray: The statements I made on prosecutors naming procedures represent the European Commission's official position

The spokesman for the European Commission, Mark Gray, declared for HotNews.ro that the statements he made this week – about the Romanian state being constrained to maintain its current anti-graft prosecutors-naming procedures – represent an official position of the institution he represents. Several Romanian parliamentarians doubted that Gray’s position is the official EC position, while a Conservative senator even said that Gray „gets more and more impertinent”.

The scandal begun after the Senate’s Juridical Commission decided to adopt an amendment that modifies the law regarding prosecutors’ naming procedures. According to the amendment, the chief prosecutors in the Anti-Graft Prosecution Office (DNA), the Organized Crime and Terrorism Investigations Department (DIICOT) and the Prosecution Office of the High Court of Justice and Causation will no longer be named by Romania president Traian Basescu, but by the Supreme Council of Magistrates, after a suggestion made by the Justice Ministry.

Gray said on Thursday that such an amendment comes against the demands of the European Union. The official EC position was thoroughly and repeatedly explained in the past, including in the last country report, on July 23.

Gray explained on Friday that any statement he makes must be considered as made in the name of the European Commission. The spokesman’s intervention yesterday caused a riot in the Parliament, Senate speaker Nicolae Vacaroiu even threatening to send a „rough letter” to the Commission. Senate’s Juridical Commission president, Norica Nicolai, along with several other parliamentarians, also expressed their doubt on how much of Grey’s statements represent an official EC position.

Regarding the „impertinent” description made by Sergiu Andon, Gray refrained from any comments.