European Commission criticises Romania

Romania does not meet the “economic criteria” set at the Copenhagen summit on EU enlargement, according to the European Commission “accession partnership” document with Bulgaria and Romania. The officials in Brussels say Bucharest needs to continue curbing inflation, improve public spending management, simplify tax legislation and make progress in privatising the banking sector. The European Commission demanded Bulgaria and Romania to continue the public administration and justice reforms, as well as the economic ones, if they plan to meet the EU accession criteria. It also specified the steps the two countries had to take over the next few years. Romania and Bulgaria, which hope to become EU members in 2007, are urged to continue fighting corruption. As for the justice system, Romania has to keep making efforts to attain an “efficient supervised freedom regime,” ensure “complete independence of the judicial power and instate a transparent magistrate recruitment and selection system.” Bulgaria needs to reduce the excessive length of judicial proceedings and see to the fundamental rights in penal affairs being respected. Brussels has especially warned Sofia to drop arbitrary arrests and improve conditions in mental institutions. ZF