Three Romanian associations of magistrates warn that Romania risks "huge financial penalties" of at least 1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) unless it complies with the decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and, among others, dismantles the controversial Special Section (SIIJ).

"We remind you that the CJEU decision of May 18, 2021, is ignored by the Romanian Parliament, which refuses to abolish the SIIJ and reorganize the Judicial Inspection, also refuses to implement the other MCV recommendations on the judiciary," reads the statement signed by the Romanian Judges Forum, the Initiative for Justice and the Movement for the Defense of Prosecutors' Statute Association, quoted by G4media.ro.

The Romanian Judges Forum has rejected in March this year the so-called "super-immunity" provisioned under an amended bill for the dismantling of the SIIJ.

Under the provision, the magistrates could have been investigated for criminal deeds only after the formal endorsement from the magistrates' body CSM.

The amendment was promoted by the ethnic Hungarians' party UDMR and eventually ended in the non-endorsement of the bill for the dismantling of the SIIJ.

As regards CJEU's recommendations, the interpretation given by the three NGOs to the March 18 decision is somehow excessive.

The CJEU set guidelines for the Romanian authorities for deciding whether to keep or dismantle SIIJ. The EC's reports under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism indeed criticized the activity of the SIIJ, coming rather abruptly to the conclusion that it should better be dismantled.

(Photo: Senatorjoanna/ Dreamstime)

andrei@romania-insider.com