What Remains to Be Done? The Ongoing Justice Reform in Romania: Status Quo and Next Steps

1 Decembrie 2005

„The jury is still out..." - the upcoming months are crucial for justice reform in Romania

Debate organised in the European Parliament by Club RO-UE on the national Day of Romania

Press release - What remains to be done - The ongoing justice reform in Romania [EN]

Europe recognises the efforts made by Romania towards justice reform in view of joining the European Union. A lot remains to be done over the following months, also in order to combat a negative perception of enlargement in the main European capitals. Romania and its citizens must make a pledge to complete the reform in real terms, not merely at the level of discourse.

"Justice reform is the key problem, which we expect will be solved soon, for which reason I consider today's debate involving the main actors of the reform (the Romanian Government, represented by the Justice Minister, the European Commission, civil society) as crucial, especially as it sums up what remains to be done ahead of the European Parliament's vote next spring," declared Joost Lagendijk MEP during a conference organised by the Club Romania-UE at the European Parliament in Brussels. The same stance was put forth by Pierre Moscovici MEP, the EP's rapporteur for Romania.

According to Monica Macovei, Romanian Minister of Justice, the relationship between the Romanian government and the European institutions is founded on honesty and transparency, as reflected in the change of attitude of Romanian authorities, which have shifted towards focusing on the actual implementation of the reform, rather than merely the adoption of EU-imposed legislation. The main content of the Minister's speech circled around the progress made by the Romanian government towards combating corruption, as well as the problems that still remain to be solved, such as the accountability of Romanian magistrates, the duration of court proceedings, the enforcement of court rulings, etc. Problems still remain, and there will be no over-night solutions, but where there is a political will there is a way.

The European Commission is not expecting miraculous solutions from Romania, but merely a continuation of its efforts towards effective implementation of the reform and an observance of the pledges it made to the European Community. The European Commission will keep a close eye on crucial further steps that need to be taken, such as the revision of the civil and penal codes, the resolution of existing cases, etc.

Most statements delivered during the conference underlined the need for a change of mentality within the Romanian judicial system, as an essential pre-condition for the success of reform. As highlighted by Ms. Georgiana Iorgulescu, representing Romanian NGOs in the field of justice, Romanian judges and lawyers will have to perform their duties in a manner in line with European Union standards, not only during the months leading up to accession, but also over the years to follow. Civil society has high expectations of the judicial sector in Romania.

The conference was organised by the Club Romania-UE at the European Parliament. The Club was founded and is run by Romanians working in Brussels, the majority of them involved in European affairs. Participants included high-ranking officials of the European and Romanian institutions, as well as the NGO sector: Pierre Moscovici and Joost Lagendijk - MEPs, Monica Macovei - Romanian Minister of Justice, Christopher Dashwood - European Commission, Georgiana Iorgulescu - Centre for Legal Resources, Romania, Lazar Comanescu - Ambassador of Romania to the EU, an important number of other MEPs, Romanian observers to the European Parliament, and last but not least, a large number of representatives of civil society.

Partners of the conference: