STATEMENT Romania must urgently return to the reform
\nprocess, which means steps forward and not backward, and refrain from any
\nmeasure that could lead to regress, the First Vice-President of the European
\nCommission, Frans Timmermans, told a news conference in Brussels in the
\naftermath of the College of Commissioners. Recently the European Commission has
\nrepeatedly announced its concern regarding the latest developments in the
\nprocess of implementing the rule of law in Romania. According to the community
\nexecutive, both the content and the procedures of the latest changes in the
\nprocess of implementing the rule of law by means of emergency decrees without talks
\nwith justice representatives and those directly interested seem to run counter
\nthe recommendations within the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. Prime
\nMinister Viorica Dancila on Wednesday said she was surprised by Timmermans’ statement through which he cautioned the Romanian government not to take any
\naction that affects the judiciary and announced her intention to have talks
\nwith the EU official. According to the Romanian Minster of Justice, Tudorel
\nToader, the process of endorsing justice laws in Romania does not need approval
\nfrom the European Commission. Opposition parties in Romania consider the
\nEuropean Commission’s latest cautioning on the situation of the country’s legal
\nsystem as ‘the toughest reaction in the past two years.’<\/p>\n
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RULING The Court of Cassation and
\nJustice in Romania on Wednesday ruled to lift the measure of judicial control
\nin the case of the former head of Romania’s main Anti-corruption Agency (DNA),
\nLaura Codruta Kovesi. The measure was taken a week ago by the prosecutors of the
\nDepartment for Investigating Offences in Justice in a file where Kovesi had
\nbeen accused of abuse of office, bribery and false testimony. The court’s
\nruling in the case involving Kovesi is definitive. Also on Wednesday, the
\nEuropean Commission and European Parliament reiterated their support for
\nKovesi, who is running for the position of European Chief Prosecutor,
\nunderlining that it is important for the former DNA head to be able to submit
\nher candidature in Brussels. Kovesi enjoys support from the Community
\nLegislature for this position. <\/p>\n
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CALL Embassies of 12 states, Romania’s
\ninternational allies and partners, have called on the government in Bucharest
\nin a joint statement to refrain from amendments that might weaken the rule of
\nlaw and Romania’s ability to fight corruption and crime. The signatories,
\nAustria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway,
\nthe Netherlands, the USA and Sweden, have voiced their deep concern about the
\nintegrity of Romania’s legal system, which has been shaken by unpredictable changes,
\nwhich do not boost Romania’s efforts to consolidate progress in terms of
\njustice. The ambassadors of the 12 states have added that the emergency decrees
\ncould impact on the independence of the judiciary, which would undermine the
\nRomanians’ and partners’ trust in the justice system and in Romania’s
\ngovernment as well. In the opinion of the partner countries, it is essential
\nthat Romania take into account recommendations coming from the Council of
\nEurope’s bodies such as the Venice Commission and GRECO as well as from the
\nEuropean Parliament the EU Council, from the European Commission’s latest
\nreport within the Mechanism of Cooperation and Verification to be able to ensure
\nan efficient, transparent and impartial justice. <\/p>\n
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(translated by
\nbill)<\/p>\n
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