Traian Băsescu confirms that EC report is accurate

President Traian Băsescu stated that the report compiled by the European Commission, made public on Wednesday, was a confirmation of the positive report on Romania delivered in February.

The chief of state added that the report was "accurate" and that that it certified the progress that Romania had made in the last period of time.

Traian Băsescu stated that the EU report outlined that the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the Superior Council of Magistracy and the Parliament did not demonstrate "convincing results" whereas the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, the Public Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the General Anti-Corruption Directorate, the Department for the Fight against Fraud within the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police and the National Integrity Agency did indeed succeed in obtaining "convincing results".

"If I were allowed to say anything, it would have to do with the Parliament. There has been a majority that has supported the Government in taking responsibility for all the justice legislation and the fact that the Parliament reacted less positively to lifting immunity or allowing the extension of some investigations has lead to this conclusion which I do not entirely support", the chief of state underlined.

Traian Băsescu mentioned that the main message of the report was that Romania had started to have autonomous institutions that were not politically subordinated.

President Traian Băsescu said that Romania did not consider it fair to include the report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism among the requirements for joining the Schengen Space, but agreed that the reality could not be denied: several states consider that the report under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism should be taken into account in order for a country to join the Schengen Space.

The president stated on Wednesday that the EC report showed and established at the same time the 18 objectives that Romania must accomplish until the next year report.
Moreover, the president said that "the days when people would complain that there was no constitutional framework are now over", claiming that the framework was in great part established and that each institution was responsible for implementing the existing framework.

According to the justice report of the European Commission, Romania has made progress for improving the efficiency of the judicial system, but urgent action still has to be taken to accelerate an important number of high-level corruption trials.

Translated by: Raluca Mizdrea
MA Student, MTTC, Bucharest University