EC questions integrity of Romania's judiciary system, asks for conclusive results

The European Commission expressed concern about the integrity of Romania's judiciary system, while mentioning the need for full support for the national anticorruption strategy in its latest report about the country. More efforts are needed for conclusive results before the summer evaluation of the Commission, which asks for better results in recovering products obtained through illegal means.

“Preparations to implement the criminal code and criminal procedure code should continue in areas like targeted recruitment and rebalancing resources between courts, and should be put in the framework of a clear and comprehensive implementation plan,” writes the report. The ability of the judiciary leadership to respond to problems concerning integrity and accountability within the judiciary remains an issue of public concern, the EC goes on. “Romania received positive comments in this latest report, all institutions – the Government, the Anticorruption Agency. This comes after two other positive reports from the Commission,” said Catalin Predoiu, the country's Justice Minister and interim Prime Minister. The recent report mentions some of the areas where Romania has made progress in the fight against corruption: draft legislation on extended confiscation has made progress in the Parliament, a comprehensive National Anti-Corruption Strategy has been drafted, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) and the National Integrity Agency (ANI) have continued to carry forward a series of important cases, including with regard to a significant number of senior politicians and officials. Two high level corruption and bribery cases recently received solutions in Romania. Former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase was sentenced to two years in jail for corruption, while media owner Sorin Ovidiu Vantu was sentenced to five months in jail for blackmail. The two have other pending cases in court, that have been trailing for years. Romania, which joined the European Union in 2007, has been constantly evaluated by the European Commission, which aimed at ensuring the justice system in the country allows for the implementation of EU's policies and legal framework. This was mart of the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification. Read the full report issued by the EC here. editor@romania-insider.com