Romania pressed to reconsider anti-corruption bill

Corruption continues to be a cause for concern in Romania following the rejection by the Senate of a key piece of anti-graft legislation.

The Commission is analysing the effects of the Romanian Senate’s rejection on 9 February of a piece of anti-corruption legislation that would entitle the country’s anti-corruption prosecutor to probe senior politicians and judges. In the wake of the decision, President Traian Basescu invited the leaders of the political parties for consultations this week. Basescu has 20 days to decide whether to send the bill back to the Senate for second reading.

Expressing confidence that Bucharest will find a lasting efficient solution to combat corruption, a spokeswoman for Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said that “we will make our full analysis of the results in our upcoming report on 16 May”. The report will be the last on Romania before the Council decides on whether to allow Romania, along with Bulgaria, the enter the EU in January 2007.

Romania’s Minister of Justice Monica Macovei referred to the Senate’s decision as a “catastrophe” and the Commission’s delegation to Romania said that the move was a “step back in the fight against corruption”. Other diplomatic sources, including the US Embassy and the British ambassador, also expressed concern.

In an interview with Mediafax, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said that “if my colleagues in the Senate cannot give me assurance that the ordinance will be adopted in the form completed by the government, then I might consider asking the government to give a vote of confidence to this law”.

Meanwhile, a study carried out by Reuters has revealed that corruption continues to weigh heavily on Romania’s EU prospects. Based on interviews with over 30 analysts, Reuters has found that Romania and Bulgaria’s chances for EU accession next year have dropped from 70% in November 2005 to 60% today.

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