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The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) announced that in a reply to the agency, the GRECO and Moneyval Committee Secretariats maintain that Romanian authorities did consult or inform them about the adoption of OUG No. 7/2019.
"The Secretariats of the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) and of the Moneyval Committee of Experts on the evaluation of anti-money laundering measures and the financing of terrorism, both bodies of the Council of Europe, argue that they have not been consulted or informed by the Romanian authorities about the adoption of OUG No. 7/2019 on the amendment of the justice laws," DNA said in a Tuesday release.
DNA explained that in a reply letter to the anti-corruption agency's management, GRECO and Moneyval representatives refer to previous recommendations according to which the appointment of judges and prosecutors to high-rank positions should be made on the basis of adequate, clear and objective criteria, under consideration of the professional's experience and the results obtained; they also reinforce their opinion that the newly established Section tasked with investigating magistrates should be dismantled.
DNA mentions that concern is reaffirmed in the document about the excessive use of legislating via emergency ordinance and that Romania has been a GRECO member since 1999 and that beginning 2017 it has been the subject to an ad-hoc evaluation by the organization as a result of the successive changes operated lately on the framework governing justice legislation.
GRECO representatives argue that the situation ensued following the adoption of Ordinance No. 7/2019 will be taken into account in the next GRECO evaluation report that will be discussed at the meeting on June 17 - 19, 2019.
The Romanian anti-corruption agency also reminds that following the meeting of DNA prosecutors, gathered in the General Assembly on February 26, based on Decision 95 / 20.02.2019 of the Prosecutor's Section of the Superior Council of the Magistrates, the decision was made, inter alia, to notify GRECO and Moneyval Committee representatives on how OUG No. 7/2019 will affect the efficiency of criminal prosecution bodies as regards the combat of corruption and money laundering.
