The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) exchange views on the situation in Romania, including the independence of judiciary, with Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Statements by Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Cornelia ERNST (GUE/NGL, DE), Judith SARGENTINI (Greens/EFA, NL), Monica MACOVEI (ECR, RO), Michał BONI (EPP, PL), Sophia IN'T VELD (ALDE, NL), Traian UNGUREANU (EPP, RO) and Renate WEBER (ALDE, RO).

exchange of views

WEBER, Renate (ALDE, RO)

Strasbourg

meeting

EU - Romania (T)

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

SARGENTINI, Judith (Greens/EFA, NL)

IN 'T VELD, Sophia (Renew, NL)

EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (T)

MACOVEI, Monica (ECR, RO)

BONI, Michał (EPP, PL)

ERNST, Cornelia (The Left, DE)

UNGUREANU, Mihai-Razvan (RO)

The situation in Romania, including the independence of judiciary: extracts from the exchange of views with Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, ] I would like to recall that the track record of the DNA (National Anticorruption Directorate) was a central reason for the more positive assessment of Romania that the Commission made back in our Cooperation and Verification Mechanism Report in January 2017. Moreover robust and independent procedures for dismissal and appointment of top prosecutors have always been a key element in our recommendations. The Commission has also recommended that the Romanian authorities seek the help of the Venice Commission in this matter.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, The Commission is also looking at how EU funding is being spent in Romania were monitoring the Romanian legal framework to see whether the procedures and institutions in place ensure the effective protection of European taxpayers money. This concerns for example the amendments of the law and the Court of Accounts and the administrative code as well as rules on ex ante conditionality and public administration. This set of laws is also subject to pending review before the Constitutional Court. Any changes that would affect the proper functioning of the national institutions responsible for managing EU funds , as required by EU law and standards, would trigger an immediate reaction from the Commission.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, The Commission has repeatedly called on the Romanian authorities to rethink their course of action and to build a broad consensus on the way forward.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, The latest developments are a source of growing concern for the Commission just as they are for those who demonstrated in the streets of Bucharest and elsewhere this August. And weren't we all shocked by the images of peaceful protesters and how they were met with the security services and the police in Bucharest? I honestly hope an investigation will be done and this will not be repeated.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, If the rules that were agreed that the European level are violated the Commission will not hesitate to draw the consequences, and where appropriate, take the Romanian government to Court.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cornelia ERNST (GUE/NGL, DE), Do you see that that all the laws regarding the fight against corruption are a problem and should be revised or are there also some positive developments that we only can support ?

SOUNDBITE (English), Judith SARGENTINI (Greens/EFA, NL), About the upcoming referendum to introduce a restrictive definition on family law . The referendum takes place Saturday and Sunday probably to up the numbers of people participating in the referendum.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Monica MACOVEI (ECR, RO), The issue of the independence of the media that is threatened now last night Mr. Dragnea the chairman of the Socialists basically issued orders concerning the adoption of legislative measures likely to limit the freedom of the press through various control mechanisms and so on and so forth.

SOUNDBITE (English), Micha&#322; BONI (EPP, PL), We have people on the streets, we have civil society protest and signals and there are some limits for civil society organizations. We have problems and we will have problems with pluralism of media and freedom of media in Romania. We will, and we have problems with anti-corruption fight.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sophia IN&apos;T VELD (ALDE, NL), The crackdown on NGOs not just the law on public assembly but also the transposition of the Anti Money Laundering Directive which is being used against NGOs.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Traian UNGUREANU (EPP, RO), Wouldn't it be better for the Commission not to mix up the Romanian government and Romania the country and maybe the Commission should face the socialist government with a choice: corruption or violence. Both are too much!

SOUNDBITE (English), Renate WEBER (ALDE, RO), Since 2009 according to a statement of the High Court out of 30000 request of communication interception which is phone taping. So out of 30000. Only three were rejected. Do you have any other country in the European Union with such figures?

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, Whenever there is criticism from the Commission on certain laws in certain member states those who want to defend what is happening always hide behind their nation or their people, saying if you criticize the law you criticize my country you criticize my nation my people. No we are criticizing very precisely proposals for legislative changes which we believe would be a step back from where we are in terms of the fight against corruption and the strength of the judiciary. And it just doesn't wash with me every time that when there is criticism or it's an attack on the nation on the people that's nonsense don't do it. It's weak!

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, Why do we have a CVM (Cooperation and Verification Mechanism) ? Because at the accession in 2007 we agreed that for those two member states that joined the European Union at that date there were still some discrepancies in the judiciary system in the fight against corruption in the independence of judiciary that needed to be fixed and we created a mechanism to do that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, The Commission is looking for a mechanism for a way to address issues of the rule of law in all member states.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, For me, the healing of Europe is the most important thing in my lifetime. And I do not think the healing of Europe will happen if we digress from some of the principles that brought us together. One of the principles that brought us together is a respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights. One of the principles we need to make sure is that the rule of law acts to help all of us. Every society has know corruption some more, some less. And I believe that this fight against corruption is essential to enshrine the values that we share as Europeans in a consistent way.