Talks on Criminal Procedures

According to Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Romanian citizen appreciate the current fight against corruption in this country.

Corina Cristea, 19.05.2015, 14:16

Consistent with the messages he conveyed during last years election campaign, president Klaus Iohannis has reiterated the idea that the fight against corruption must be fought with all engines on, because this is a scourge that prevents Romania from developing. In an interview on the German public television ARD, the head of the Romanian state has recently stated that he is thinking quite seriously to challenge the amendments made lately by Parliament to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code at the Constitutional Court. In his opinion, Romania is now in a stage of fierce fight against corruption, and amending those laws right now is not at all opportune. President Iohannis:

“In a few years time, when I hope the number of cases of corruption will drop, we will be able to talk about amending these laws, provided it is necessary to do so. On the other hand, fighting corruption is not just my or other peoples hobby, it is a must in Romania, if we want this country to keep developing.

The amendments brought by Parliament to the Criminal Code, the Forestry Code and the Law regarding the incompatibility of local officials were criticized by the President on Monday, at a press conference he held in Bucharest. Klaus Iohannis again:

“The Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code are new. They must be left to function for a while, to see if amendments are necessary. I cannot accept the situation in which MPs amend those laws for their own benefit. Therefore, if such laws reach the promulgation stage, they will not be promulgated.

Talking about the Forestry Code, president Klaus Iohannis said he would not notify the Constitutional Court if Parliament did not comply with his request for reexamination, but he also said that, in his opinion, illegal deforestation was a threat to national security, therefore the issue would be discussed at the first meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense.

There has been little talk about the article in the Forestry Code that allows the exploitation of forests smaller than 10 hectares without the obligation to reforest the area, say those who oppose the code. The former minister of waters and forestry, Lucia Varga, has stated that passing the code as it is today, would be a threat to the life of citizens and communities. If this article was not changed, over one million hectares might be deforested without any prior assessment whatsoever. On the other hand, the Competition Council has proposed the elimination from the Forestry Code of the provisions introducing the maximum threshold of 30% for the purchase of wood obtained from national forests and the right of preemption for furniture producers, upon purchasing wood.