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The National Anti-corruption Directorate (DNA) says that it has made and is making special efforts to continue the fight against high-level corruption, but points out that the European Commission's latest report on Romania's progress under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, which was released on Tuesday, also highlights certain issues that could affect the clampdown on corruption, specifically the justice package, the special Section for the Investigation of Judicial Crimes (SIIJ) and the failure to enforce the institution's technical capabilities.
"Following the release, on June 8, 2021, of the European Commission's Report on Romania's progress under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), DNA makes the following clarifications. DNA's management, together with the institution's personnel have made and are making special efforts to continue the fight against high-level corruption, as the European Commission also remarks in the report: more cases sent to court, more convictions, fewer acquittals and more complaints registered - a sign of regaining citizens' trust," DNA said in a release today.
According to DNA, despite these positive aspects which are related exclusively to DNA's anti-corruption efforts, the CVM report also highlights certain issues that may affect the fight against corruption, specifically:
* the failure to fix the amendments brought to the justice package over 2017 - 2019 (including the creation of the SIIJ), which resulted in an acute staff crisis at DNA;
* the failure to render the legislation in force compliant with the decisions of the Constitutional Court;
* the failure to strengthen DNA's technical capabilities.
"DNA assures the citizens of Romania that it will continue its activity in a sustained and efficient manner so that benchmark No. 3 in the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism - Fight against high-level corruption - is achieved," the cited source states.
