The answer provided by Romania will be analyzed point by point Wednesday morning, and the Commission’s conclusions will be included in the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) report, to be presented Wednesday afternoon, said EC spokesman Frederic Vincent.
He added that EC President Jose Manuel Barroso received Monday from Prime Minister Victor Ponta a detailed answer to the eleven issues noted by the Commission, which has expressed concern about the recent political developments in Romania.
According to a draft EC report on Romania’s justice system, obtained by Mediafax Tuesday, the European Commission recommends that Romania’s Government and the country’s key institutions should demonstrate their commitment to the principles underlying the rule of law and judicial independence through a series of urgent steps.
According to the draft report, the Commission will adopt a further report under the CVM for Romania before the end of 2012, in which “it will look at whether the concerns it expresses regarding the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary have been addressed and whether the democratic checks and balances have been restored. The Commission will monitor progress closely, with regular missions, as well as frequent dialogue with the Romanian authorities and with other Member States.”
The Cooperation and Verification Mechanism was implemented in 2007, when Romania joined the European Union, as an instrument to monitor the country’s progress in the justice sector. The Commission presents yearly CVM reports, an interim report in February and an annual report in July.