Romanian lawmakers status, "analyzed within MCV"

The European Commission will include in the report on Verification and Cooperation Mechanism on justice reaction to the law on the status of Romanian MPs, voted Tuesday.

The report has to be published next week - said the European Commission spokesman, Mark Gray, quoted by RRA correspondent Luminita Apostol.

"We have already seen various interpretations of what was adopted yesterday, but we will have to analyze in detail the document.

"What is clear to the European Commission - and I have said this repeatedly - is that those in power must ensure they have no integrity problems.

"This has been our position and remains our position, but will have to see exactly what the Romanian Parliament adopted yesterday and our findings will be reflected in next week's report," said Mark Gray.

Tuesday, the Romanian plenary adopted changes to the status of deputies and senators, which gives, inter alia, increased parliamentary immunity.

What does the new status?

Under the new statute, the detention, arrest or search of the parlamentarian is made at the request of prosecutors, through the Minister of Justice, indicating the case from the Criminal Code and specific reasons justifying such measures.

The new statute prohibits the employment of relatives until the third-degree in parliamentary offices.

The statute also provides that employees with work card or civil contract of a parliamentary office may be reinstated at the same deputy or senator's office also in the new mandate, in case of his reelection.

The new statute allows renouncing the car in exchange for giving up a lump sum and allows lawmakers to work together in the teaching, research or intellectual creation.

The statute of deputies and senators provides that parliamentarians can exercise functions or activities in the teaching, research or of intellectual creation also in other areas established by law.

The provision that provided that an elected mandate to end on the date of the final and irrevocable court decision finding the existence of unjustified wealth and status incompatibility in accordance with the Law on Declaration and Control of Assets dignitaries was removed from the statute.

Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea
MTTLC, Bucharest University