Met dank overgenomen van Raad van de Europese Unie,
gepubliceerd op maandag 11 maart 2013.
COUNCIL OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION
Council
conclusions on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism
3231st
GERAL AFFAIRS Council meeting Brussels, 11 March 2013
The Council
adopted the following conclusions:
1.
Reaffirming
its earlier conclusions, in particular those of 24 September 2012, the Council
welcomes the report from the Commission on progress in Romania under the
Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. The Council commends the Commission on
its work, on the methodology followed and fully shares the objective and
balanced analysis and recommendations contained in the report. The Council
notes that this report is a response to political events in Romania last
summer. More generally, the Council appreciates the continued good co-operation
of Bulgaria and Romania with the Commission and the other Member States under
the mechanism
2.
The Council
notes positively the steps taken by the Romanian government to address several
of the Commission's recommendations of July 2012 but notes that a number of the
recommendations still need to be adequately implemented. The Council recalls
the fundamental values on which the EU is founded, and welcomes the commitment
of the Romanian government to ensure respect for the rule of law and the
independence of the judiciary, as well as the steps that have been taken in
this regard. The election of a new parliament and the appointment of a new
government provide a fresh opportunity to consolidate these steps and swiftly
address still outstanding points. The Council welcomes the steps that have been
taken to respect the role of the Constitution and the Constitutional Court. The
Council underlines the importance of the effective implementation of the new
statute for Members of Parliament and the proposed Code of Conduct. The Council
notes that further work is needed on the respect for and enforcement of
judicial decisions, on concerns regarding undue pressure on the judiciary and
anti-corruption institutions, and on the responsibility of Ministers and
parliamentarians to set an example in terms of respect for integrity. The
Council looks forward to the early appointment of a new leadership for the
prosecution and the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) following an
open and transparent process. Those appointed will need to demonstrate the
independence, integrity and professionalism necessary to enjoy the confidence
of the public and deliver effective results
The Council
also welcomes the Commission's assessment of progress in Romania against the
background of the benchmarks set out in the Cooperation and Verification
Mechanism and previous Commission recommendations. The Council welcomes
progress on judicial inspection as a means of improving the accountability of
the judicial system, and important progress on building a track record in the
fight against high-level corruption made by the Prosecutor-General's office,
DNA, National Integrity Agency (ANI) and the High Court of Cassation and
Justice. The Council also notes positively and encourages further steps being
taken in the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy. The
Council considers it essential that the advances made by the prosecutorial,
anti-corruption, and integrity institutions are maintained and that their
independence and work be fully supported. The Council shares the Commission's
assessment that there are important remaining challenges, including limited
progress in the prevention and sanctioning of corruption related to public
procurement, and notes the measures being taken to develop the role of ANI in
this area
The Council
reiterates the importance of an unequivocal, sustained and broad-based
political commitment to meet the objectives set under the Mechanism. The
existence of an impartial, independent and effective administrative and
judicial system, with sufficient resources, is indispensable for EU policies to
function properly and for citizens to benefit fully from all the opportunities
offered by membership of the Union
The Council
notes that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism has been instrumental for
progress, and that it remains an appropriate tool to assist in reform efforts
in order to achieve a record of concrete and lasting results to reach the
objectives of the Mechanism. Building on progress already achieved, the Council
urges the further acceleration of efforts to address all the recommendations
set out by the Commission in its reports and looks forward to further concrete
steps ahead of the Commission's reports on Bulgaria and Romania before the end
of this year. In this context, the Council welcomes the Commission's intention
to continue monitoring the situation in Bulgaria and Romania closely
