The Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) today (August 8) published a report on Romania assessing progress made in implementing the recommendations issued to the country in the Fourth Round Evaluation Report in 2015 on the prevention of corruption in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors and under the ad hoc Rule 34 Procedure introduced in 2018 addressing concerns brought about by a series of judicial reforms in 2017. GRECO concludes that Romania has implemented satisfactorily or dealt with in a satisfactory manner eight out of thirteen recommendations contained in the Fourth Round Evaluation Report, and all recommendations in the Follow-up to the Ad hoc (Rule 34) Report. With respect to members of parliament, it is highly regrettable that no progress has been made with respect to the five outstanding recommendations since the last compliance report. It is important that the transparency of the parliamentary process be further improved and that the use of urgent procedures be reduced. Conflicts of interest and rules on how MPs engage with lobbyists still need to be introduced and a system of independent counselling for MPs to seek advice on integrity matters also needs to be put in place. With respect to both judges and prosecutors, the efforts made to increase the role of the Supreme Council of Magistracy and the Judicial Inspectorate in responding to risks for the integrity of judges and prosecutors have now been positively noted in the implementation of the new laws on the Judiciary adopted and enacted in 2022. Their implementation so far is promising, however GRECO encourages the Romanian authorities to remain vigilant. GRECO welcomes that legislative measures have been taken that largely comply with the two remaining recommendations addressed by GRECO in this Rule 34 (Ad hoc) Procedure. Notably, the new laws on the Judiciary of 2022 went towards providing stronger independence for prosecutors and their operations in the law. They also provided for clarity and predictability as regards liability of judges and prosecutors for judicial errors. As regards the independence of the prosecution service, GRECO takes note that there is work in progress with respect to additional safeguards being introduced, resulting from the work of a Romanian panel of high-level experts, which addressed outstanding Venice Commission recommendations, several of which refer to the issue of the independence of the prosecution service. GRECO welcomes the progress made with respect to judges and prosecutors and encourages the Romanian authorities to continue their efforts regarding the work in progress and to keep it informed on the follow up given to it.
Romanian deep-tech startup .lumen, the developer of what it says are the world’s first AI-powered glasses for the blind, has secured a new investment from EIT Urban Mobility, the European innovation community focused on advancing sustainable and inclusive urban mobility solutions. The value of the new funding round was not disclosed. The investment aligns with […]
The health spending per capita in Romania was the lowest in the EU, with spending less than half the EU average in 2023, the recently released report, State of Health in the EU - Romania Country Health Profile 2025, shows. At the same time, life expectancy in Romania is 5.1 years below the EU average, […]
Romania’s annual inflation rate stood at roughly 9.8% in November 2025, similar to October, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Food prices increased by 7.6% last month, while services rose roughly 11% and non-food goods climbed 10.7%. The consumer price index rose by 0.42% in November compared with October, while […]
Three French soldiers deployed in Romania as part of NATO’s Multinational Battle Group at Cincu intervened to save a truck driver following a serious traffic accident on the A3 Bucharest–Ploiești motorway, the Romanian Ministry of Defense said. The incident occurred earlier this week as the soldiers were traveling toward Ploiești and witnessed the truck crash...
Eight contemporary art galleries will present the works of the artists they represent at the third edition of the Smallest Art Fair in Town, an event dedicated to works on paper. This edition showcases works “investigating the state of wandering, disorientation, and rediscovery in the face of uncertainty.” Under the title In Dark Woods, A […]
Parents everywhere are asking an important question: What skills will truly prepare a child for a world defined by rapid change, global uncertainty, and the rise of artificial intelligence? For decades, schools focused entirely on academics. Today, research from neuroscience, performance psychology, and leading universities shows a different reality: The students who thrive long-term are […]
