Ascultă Radio România Actualitaţi Live

The National Integrity Agency Law, contested and rejected

The Court’s decision came just one day before the European Commission report on justice reform in Romania.

The National Integrity Agency Law, contested and rejected

22 Iulie 2010, 11:13

On Monday, the highest court in Romania admitted the objection filed a week ago by the Romanian President, who in June refused to endorse the National Integrity Agency law.

Back then, the head of state said that new provisions would curtail the institution’s ability to check and seize assets obtained by public office holders by illegal means.

This time, president Basescu invoked the fact that not all legal requirements were observed in passing the law.


The Court’s decision came just one day before the European Commission report on justice reform in Romania.

Brussels concernes

Two weeks ago, Brussels voiced concern over several amendments to the law, passed in late June by the Romanian Parliament.

The latest version did away with the committees in charge of auditing public office holders, and provided for just one year the timeframe during which these assets can be checked in the case of dignitaries who are no longer in office.


Also, the law maintained the double public income statement system, meaning that dignitaries must provide two statements, one public and one confidential, the latter to be checked by inspectors of the Integrity Agency and detailing possessions such as jewelry, art and religious objects with a total value exceeding 5 thousand Euros.

“The agency was robbed of its most important instruments, which had negative consequences in the fight against corruption and with regard to Romania’s commitments to the European justice cooperation and verification mechanisms” said the Secretary General of the National Integrity Agency, Horia Georgescu, right after Parliament passed the law.


Also, anti-corruption organizations and foreign diplomats blamed Romanian MPs for having hamstrung the Agency, which, since 2007, has been checking against potential conflicts of interests or against unreasonable wealth being gathered by elected officials.

The Agency found itself in a position where it needed a new law to regulate it. Then the Constitutional Court ruled that some of the provisions of the old law were unconstitutional.

Now the law again stands some chances of providing the institution with enhanced powers, in line with the Constitution.

The good functioning of the National Integrity Agency is one of the prerequisites for Brussels to decide that Romania no longer needs monitoring of its justice system and anti-corruption mechanisms.

(Radio România Internaţional, Serviciul în limba engleză).

Changes to maritime strategy
News in English 21 Noiembrie 2024, 00:30

Changes to maritime strategy

In Constanta, the Romanian Naval Forces are organizing the annual international conference on maritime security in the Black...

Changes to maritime strategy
Two Dutch F-16 aircraft landed at Fetesti Air Base
News in English 21 Noiembrie 2024, 00:29

Two Dutch F-16 aircraft landed at Fetesti Air Base

Two F-16 aircraft from the Netherlands, the latest to join the European Training Center, have landed at the 86th Air Base in...

Two Dutch F-16 aircraft landed at Fetesti Air Base
Technological development of district heating power plants key to efficient heating
News in English 19 Noiembrie 2024, 22:23

Technological development of district heating power plants key to efficient heating

The key to efficient and safe home heating in the capital is the technological development of district heating power plants,...

Technological development of district heating power plants key to efficient heating
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu had a phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump
News in English 19 Noiembrie 2024, 22:21

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu had a phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced that on Tuesday evening he had a very good telephone conversation with the...

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu had a phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump
Two teenagers in Romania's delegation to COP29
News in English 18 Noiembrie 2024, 21:54

Two teenagers in Romania's delegation to COP29

Two teenagers from Romania are taking part for the first time as members of a delegation at the United Nations Climate Change...

Two teenagers in Romania's delegation to COP29
Ciolacu: Romania and Bulgaria could join Schengen with land borders in January
News in English 18 Noiembrie 2024, 21:52

Ciolacu: Romania and Bulgaria could join Schengen with land borders in January

Romania and Bulgaria could join the European Schengen area of free movement with land borders also from January next year,...

Ciolacu: Romania and Bulgaria could join Schengen with land borders in January
This year, Romania's economic growth will be much lower than expected, says EC
News in English 15 Noiembrie 2024, 18:39

This year, Romania's economic growth will be much lower than expected, says EC

The European Commission expects Romania to end the year with much lower economic growth than forecast in the spring. While...

This year, Romania's economic growth will be much lower than expected, says EC
President Klaus Iohannis promulgated the law for the purchase of F-35 fighter jets
News in English 15 Noiembrie 2024, 18:38

President Klaus Iohannis promulgated the law for the purchase of F-35 fighter jets

President Klaus Iohannis promulgated on Friday, November 15, the law on the purchase of 32 F-35 fighter jets. These will be...

President Klaus Iohannis promulgated the law for the purchase of F-35 fighter jets