EXCLUSIVE European Commission on the controversial justice laws adopted by the government: we are following the process closely / It is important that the final laws address long-standing concerns raised in the context of the CVM

„The European Commission is closely following the ongoing process and remains in contact with the Romanian authorities on the draft justice laws that have now been adopted by the government,” a spokesperson for the EU executive told G4Media on Wednesday.

G4Media has asked the European Commission about the adoption by the government of the controversial justice projects, strongly criticized by some magistrates’ associations and civil society.

„It is important that the final laws address the long-standing concerns raised in the context of the CVM and meet the milestones agreed in the NRRP,” Christian Wigand, European Commission spokesperson, told G4Media.

The EU official also recalled Vice-President Vera Jourova’s statement during her last visit to Romania: „We see political determination and real momentum to make significant progress in the reform process”.

As a reminder, the Ciucă government adopted on Wednesday in a government meeting three key projects: the draft law on the status of judges and prosecutors, the draft law on the judicial organization, and the draft law on the Superior Council of Magistracy.

The three drafts will now go to Parliament for debate and voting.

The bills, initiated by the current Justice Minister Cătălin Predoiu, have been up for debate since 2020 and have been widely debated and criticized by magistrates and civic associations over the years.

On the very day of the government’s adoption, Laura Stefan, from the think-tank Expert Forum, warned of several harmful changes in the three draft justice laws.

The first radical change is the disappearance of provisions for the appointment and dismissal of police officers in the judicial police by order of the Prosecutor General. Forensic police officers are key in cases prosecuted by prosecutors, and until now the prosecutor general had the final say on the matter. Removing these provisions from the law paves the way for political control over forensic police officers.

On August 11, three magistrates’ associations strongly criticized the justice laws in an open letter sent to the European Commission, accusing the Government that the measures proposed or already adopted „represent an unacceptable step backwards for the judiciary and seriously jeopardize its independence”.

The open letter also points out that none of the key recommendations in recent European Commission reports on justice legislation have been met by Romania.

The three magistrates’ associations call on Brussels officials to use all means at their disposal „to restore to magistrates of good faith the hope that the values of the rule of law have not yet disappeared in Romania”.

Otherwise, by the European Commission’s inaction, „the destruction of justice will be complete and the EU treaties in Romania will be totally and irretrievably compromised,” the three magistrates’ associations say.

The Association of Formed Judges, the Justice Initiative, and the Movement for the Defence of the Status of Prosecutors addressed an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Commission Vice-President Vere Jourova, and European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders.