Government programme based on country report

The Government these days will discuss the country report for Romania released by the European Commission on November 13 and, based on the recommendations included in the project, it will draft a programme for the next years, Romania’s chief negotiator for EU accession Vasile Puscas said.

The Government’s strategy regarding EU accession will be modified according to performances, “especially the macro-economic and the administration-related ones,” chapters where the European Commission report finds significant gaps, Puscas said.

On the other hand, he does not confirm or refute the hypothesis advanced by Ghiorghi Prisacaru, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Policy, according to which Romania might join the EU in 2006 instead of 2007, as the Government had planned.

Puscas claims that Romania is able to “overcome the delays” registered in the accession process.

Romania will send the last seven surveys to Brussels by the end of 2001 and in 2002 will open all the residual negotiation chapters, with the process to be concluded in 2004.

“We have sent 22 chapters so far, with 17 having been opened, while 8 have been already temporarily closed. We want all the chapters to be opened next year and to be temporarily closed at the end of 2004,” the minister said.

Puscas admits that the European Commission document refers to “corruption in the Romanian political system” and claims that this was mentioned due to the Government, which admitted there was corruption in the political system and “blamed it.”

Corruption in Romanian politics will be wiped out as the modern political management will replace the current system.

Political management means that “a decision is endorsed after consultations with the interest groups, citizens and the political groups and points to a permanent ability to assess the effects of the decision and of the political act from the citizen’s point of view,” the minister said.

As for the “political subordination of justice,” criticised in the report, Puscas says “it is a rather general phrase.” He claims that justice problems will be solved after reform in this field is concluded.