New GRECO report evaluates Romania’s progress in implementing recommendations to prevent corruption in respect of MPs, judges and prosecutors

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.