Commission: Romania violated EU obligations

Report slams new rules on anti-corruption agency.

Romania has breached commitments to fight corruption it made before entering the European Union in 2007, the European Commission says in an annual report endorsed by the college of commissioners today (20 July).

The report, on Romania’s performance under the post-accession co-operation and verification mechanism, says that changes to the law governing the National Integrity Agency (ANI) adopted on 30 June were “detrimental” to its functioning. The revised law “seriously undermines the process for effective verification, sanctioning and forfeiture of unjustified assets”, the report says. “It restricts the transparency of financial and economic interests of dignitaries and public officials and excludes dissuasive sanctions that protect against corruption.” The report concludes that the revised law “interrupts the encouraging development of ANI and breaches commitments taken by Romania upon accession”.

No sanctions

The Commission believes that a decision by the constitutional court yesterday (19 July) that the revised law was unconstitutional should now prompt the Romanian parliament to review the issue. President Traian Băsescu had forwarded the text to the court to obtain a ruling on its constitutionality.

A Commission spokesman said that the Commission was not considering any sanctions against Romania for its breach of its accession obligations.

Bulgaria

The Commission also adopted an annual report on the performance under the co-operation and certification mechanism of Bulgaria, the other country that entered the EU in 2007. The report is broadly positive and notes “strong reform momentum” based on “strong political will” by the government of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, which took office a year ago.