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Timmermans: We will watch amendments to Penal Code attentively to prevent attacks to justice
The European Commission will attentively watch amendments to the penal codes now in Parliament to make sure there will not be any attacks to justice in Romania, the first vice-president Frans Timmermans declared on Thursday at debates in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs - LIBE on the situation in Romania.
The European Commission will not comment on individual cases. We only want justice to function independently. What we see is that justice in Romania apparently cannot have access to all government levels, Timmermans said at the debates.
The European official pointed out that he was in Romania on the day when the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) announced premier Victor Ponta’s penal investigation.
He reminded that as shown in the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification- MCV report, Romania has made considerable progress in its efforts to consolidate the rule of law and the fight against corruption, but the question is whether these efforts are sustainable.
Efforts should continue to be made, we will be very firm, I said that to all politicians I met at the government ant in Parliament. EC will be attentive in monitoring the separation of powers in the state in Romania. Parliament actions should not lead to the limitation of the independence of justice, Timmermans said.
He warned that existing amendments should be discussed with people from the judicial system.
At the same time he added that he had spoken to the chairmen of the two Parliament chambers and sent them letters in which he showed that EC would be very attentive to be sure there was no attack against justice.