Romania Demands Justice Monitoring System for Whole EU

Romania has signalled its growing frustration with the CVM - a system of checks on its adherence to the rule of law - by demanding that similar monitoring be extended to the rest of the European Union.

Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu on Sunday said it was time to consider "an evaluation mechanism of [the] justice [system] and the rule of law for all [EU] member states". He added: "A single standard is needed for everyone."

The European Commission imposed the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, CVM, on Romania and Bulgaria when they joined the EU in 2007 in response to concerns from some member states that they were not ready for membership.

It was designed to assess the two countries' progress on administrative and judicial matters in order to help them remedy "shortcomings" and has remained in place ever since.

Romanian and Bulgarian leaders have repeatedly demanded an end to the CVM, calling it discriminatory.

But while the latest CVM progress report, released last October, praised Bulgaria's record in improving the justice system and the fight against corruption and organised crime, it did not say the same for Romania.

The report opened the door for the mechanism to be lifted on Bulgaria, while calling Romania's justice system "a source of great concern".

The Romanian minister also complained that the matter of the CVM was not addressed at the informal meeting of EU justice ministers held last week in Zagreb, Croatia.

"I particularly wanted to start with problems present in the European agenda, because very much has to be done for justice in all European countries," Predoiu said.

"It would be good that all EU state members fight corruption as Romania does, including in the field of European funds,"...