EC First Vice-President in Bucharest for talks on Justice Laws

European Commission’s First Vice-President Frans Timmermans has met, this morning, in Bucharest, with Speakers of both Chambers of the Romanian Parliament and with members of the Special Parliamentary Committee on the Law of Justice, to speak about the current situation with the Justice Laws.

During the meeting, representatives of the Opposition have criticized the way in which the laws of Justice were adopted, while those of the Governing Coalition stated that decisions of the Constitutional Court were respected.

Representatives of the Opposition say they have also criticized both the alert pace in which the Laws of Justice were debated in Parliament, as well as the proposals of the Governing Coalition to amend the Criminal Codes. PNL Senator Alina Gorghiu spoke about the message that the EC high official has sent to the specialized committee within the Romanian Parliament.

Alina Gorghiu: We are encouraged to make laws that do not shatter the judiciary. I have certainly argued that it seems to be a war between the Parliament and the Judiciary, and it is not at all recommended to solve this issue (..) through press.

Dan Barna, deputy leader of the USR: The perception of the European Union is that you are in a marathon race, you are on the last turn and you are somehow running away. And, from this perspective, very clear, MCV remains, we do not have an immediate perspective to have the MCV lifted from any point of view. The message was diplomatic but firm in this direction, so we have no ambiguity. The MCV remains and the perception is that in Romania there is a pressure on Justice, a pressure through parliamentary initiatives and a pressure through the media, subordinated to criminal convicts and people with criminal problems.

RRA Reporter: Speaker of the special parliamentary committee, Florin Iordache (PSD), stressed during the meeting that the laws in the field of Justice are in line with the decisions of the Constitutional Court, whose decisions are binding.

Florin Iordache: Regarding the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (MCV), we will make every effort, all of us who are involved, from Parliament, Government or other institutions, so that those observations that have been included in this year’s latest report can be completed and that we can close the MCV. First of all, we want a real independence of Justice and a non involvement of politics.

Senate President Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu also stresses in a press release disseminated after the meeting with the European official that Romania pays particular attention to the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens, and to the democratic functioning of the state institutions.

According to RRA Reporter Carmen Gavrilă, EC First Vice-President intends to discuss in Bucharest the latest developments in terms of Justice Laws in Romania, including clarifications on Justice Minister’s request to revoke DNA Chief Prosecutor, Laura Codruta Kovesi.

Frans Timmermans has recently urged the Romanian Parliament to rethink the changes in the Laws of Justice after the Romanian Constitutional Court declared some of the provisions as unconstitutional.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei