Timmermans participated on Monday at a meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), which analyzed the recent developments in Romania. He said the Romanian authorities’ initiatives to change the justice laws and criminal codes have led to concerns both in Romania and internationally.
“Many Romanians are worried that the changes proposed to these laws could undermine the lengthy efforts in combatting corruption and ensuring justice independence, and the European Commission shares these concerns,” Timmermans said, according to Mediafax. He added that the Romanian Parliament hasn’t shown any signs that it plans to respond to recommendations issued by international bodies such as GRECO (The Group of States Against Corruption) and the Venice Commission.
The laws of justice are “crucial for the prosecutors’ capacity to investigate and for judges to be able to make decisions in top-level corruption files,” the EC official said.
He also pointed out that, despite Romania’s sometimes spectacular progresses in justice reform and the fight against corruption, there is now a real risk that things unwind in a way that would negatively affect democracy in Romania and the country’s place in the EU. Timmermans mentioned that the recent events will be reflected in the next Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) report.
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