(Washington) - Members of the
U.S. Helsinki Commission criticized Romania’s ban on international
adoptions in a hearing held today. Entitled, “In the Best
Interests of the Children? Romania’s Ban on Inter-Country Adoption,”
the hearing focused on Romania’s recent implementation of a law
prohibiting inter-country adoptions which has blocked over 200
Americans from taking custody of children that they were qualified
to adopt.
“The Romanian Government was told by the European
Union to ban inter-country adoptions as the price for membership,
and they capitulated. That the EU should demand such a policy
is appalling. That the Romanians should accept it is equally
troubling.” said Commission Chairman Senator Sam Brownback
(R-KS). “Romania has denied thousands of children a loving
home and a caring family, and the EU is at fault for letting
politics get in the way of helping children.”
The Commission on Security and Cooperation in
Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, is a U.S. Government
agency that monitors progress in the implementation of the
provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Accords. The Commission
consists of nine members from the United States Senate, nine from
the House of Representatives, and one member each from the
Departments of State, Defense and Commerce.
“The law is based upon the misguided proposition
that an institution, or even a foster family, is preferable to an
adoptive family from outside the child’s country of birth,” said
Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). “Each year,
1,000 children are adopted domestically while 8,000 children in
Romania are being sentenced to a life without knowing family or a
parent’s love. This is undeniably a human rights abuse.”
Prior to enactment of the 2004 anti-adoption law,
approximately 1,700 adoption cases were pending with the Romanian
Government. Of these, 200 children have been matched with
adoptive parents in the United States, and the remainder with
parents in Western Europe. Currently, despite promises from
the Romanian Government, including President Basescu, none of these
“pipeline cases” have been resolved.
“This new Romanian law could very well harm the
safety of children. My heart goes out to the children and
families who have been caught up in this troubling new law,” said
Commission Ranking Member, Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD).
“You can be sympathetic with Romania’s need to join
the European Union and still recognize that these adoption laws are
deeply damaging to the lives of thousands of children,” added
Senator Brownback. “There has to be a better and more humane
way to deal with this problem and I urge the EU and Romania to sit
down and take seriously the fate of thousands of innocent children
and loving families.”
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