National Integrity Agency

In its second annual EU rule-of-law report released in Brussels on Tuesday, the European Commission looks at the independence and quality of Romania's judiciary, the fight against corruption, media pluralism and media freedom.

Justice Minister Ana Birchall stated on Tuesday that the European Commission Report regarding the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) is a critical one, showing that only two recommendations have been fulfilled out of the 12 included in the January 2017 Report. "Certainly, we would have wanted a better report.

Former Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) and current Ambassador of Romania to the US George Maior announced that he asked the parliamentary committee on the oversight of SRI's activity to "seriously reflect on the multiple allegations tossed out about illegal interceptions, covert officers, incompatibilities, pressure put on justice," and seek evidence and hear others,

The Save Romania Union (USR) claims that the National Integrity Agency has not completed the investigation into the wealth of the Chamber of Deputies' Speaker, Liviu Dragnea, PSD leader, although USR filed a notification in this regard a year ago.

Former President of Romania, Chairman of the People's Movement Party (PMP) and Senator Traian Basescu stated that, taking into account the public pressure, the risk of disclosing all protocols signed by the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) should be assumed, mentioning that Romania's Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT) has nothing to declassify from this point of view.

President Klaus Iohannis has called on Parliament to reexamine a law supplementing Law 176/2010 on integrity in the discharge of public duties, amending and supplementing Law 144/2007 on the establishment, organisation and operation of the National Integrity Agency (ANI).

Preparations for the next European Commission's evaluation mission under the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (MCV) that reports on Romania's progress with judiciary reform and the fight against corruption were the objective of a meeting of the CVM board at the headquarters of the Justice Ministry (MJ).

In a report published today, the Council of Europe's anti-corruption body (GRECO) stresses that Romania has satisfactorily implemented or dealt satisfactorily with only two of the thirteen recommendations contained in the Fourth Round Evaluation Report adopted in December, NewEurope reported.

The Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption, GRECO, has criticised Romania's parliament in a report for adopting justice legislation without a proper consultation process and despite protests.

The joint parliamentary Budget & Finance Committees on Saturday approved the 2016 budget of the National Integrity Agency (ANI) in the form proposed by the Government.