---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: dvisoiu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Jan 15, 2006 6:02 PM Subject: [romania-economics] NEWS: EC to decide on Romania's accession on May 16 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
EC to decide on Romania's accession on May 16 Oana Dan Scheele explained that there are no quantitative criteria imposed by the EC over the investigation of corruption cases. The EC wants assurances that corruption cases where the allegations are severe will be treated with responsibility and objectivity by the Romanian justice system. The European Commission is to make its recommendation on Romania's accession date on May 16, after 14 peer-review missions have collected information from Bucharest, according to the head of the EC Delegation in Romania, Jonathan Scheele. He said that if the EC had already made a decision about this issue it would not be spending money sending the peer-review missions to Romania and Bulgaria by the end of March. Scheele also explained that a decision about postponing the country's integration, if taken, will be made by the European Council, not the Commission. He referred to the problem of corruption, for which the country was severely criticized in the commission's report in October 2005. Scheele explained that there are no quantitative criteria imposed by the EC over the investigation of cases of high level corruption. He also recalled of the words of the Enlargement Commissioner Ollie Rehn, who urged Romania to solve its corruption problems as soon as possible. Corruption is one of the issues that could trigger the safeguard clause which would mean a delay in Romania's accession to the EU. In addition, the Austrian Ambassador to Bucharest, Christian Zeileissen, a representative of the Austrian presidency of the EU, stressed that his country will become active only if there is a recommendation to delay the integration of Romania and Bulgaria scheduled for January 1, next year. "If the commission's proposal is to keep the scheduled date, the Austrian presidency has no role to play," said the ambassador, referring to the possible safeguard clauses which could be the main reason to delay accession. However, the ambassador refused to speculate on what the Commission might decide. "Our government has said several times it is in favor of Romania entering the union on January 1, 2007," Zeileissen continued, adding that a strong recommendation to postpone accession would be the sign of serious unresolved problems in the country. Nevertheless, he pointed out that the Austrian government has a more favorable position towards Romania and Bulgaria. The deputy editor-in-chief of Gandul newspaper, Bogdan Chireac, said yesterday for Realitatea TV that the main difference between Romania and EU countries in terms of politics and corruption is that EU members do not tolerate people who try to get rich in politics. He compared the Supreme Council of Magistrates with the Supreme Court in the U.S., which has a long-lasting tradition of independence and objectivity. Referring to corruption he said that the so-called "big fish" have not been caught yet, though there are suspicions about who they might be. Chireac added that EU officials think nothing is actually being done to fight high level corruption, considering they know there are such cases in Romania. "I have not seen big fish grilled," reinforced Chireac, wondering whether justice reforms are efficient. <http://www.daily-news.ro/article_detail.php?idarticle=21307> -- ______________ EuroAtlantic Club monitoring Romania's journey towards the EU http://www.europe.org.ro/euroatlantic_club/ mail to: P.O.Box 13-166, Bucharest 70700 e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** sustineti [romania_eu_list] prin 1% din impozitul pe 2005 - detalii la http://www.europe.org.ro/euroatlantic_club/unulasuta.php *** Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romania_eu_list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
