Tariceanu tells Timmermans EC's open approach to tackle sensitive issues with Romanian authorities recommended

Senate's President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu on Thursday said during his meeting with the European Commission's First Vice President, Frans Timmermans, at the Parliament's seat, that the amendment of the criminal codes (Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, ed. n.) has been finalised at the Justice Ministry in accordance with the Constitutional Court's decisions, a release by the Romanian Senate sent to AGERPRES informs.

Popescu-Tariceanu specified that "it is intended for the institutions guaranteed by Constitution and laws to be granted a democratic functioning, beyond any interference from the force bodies or intelligence services."

The Senate's head stressed that "the open approach of the European Commission to dialogue on the sensitive issues with the Romanian authorities is recommended and appreciated, thus being avoided the partial, distorted information."

"The working visit of the Commission's First Vice President in Bucharest is therefore considered as a necessary element of the normal relation with the European bodies, enhancing the messages sent by both sides for a direct dialogue. The efficient coordination with the European bodies is, according to Mr. Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, useful particularly in this period when Romania is preparing to taking over the rotational Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the Commission is about to close the legislative agenda it took upon at the beginning of its mandate," the source adds.

The Senate's President appreciated the attention on the European Commission's behalf to the institutional aspects, in the preparation of the changes to intervene as of the next European elections, saluting the EC's preoccupation for a better regulation at European level so that the institutions run more efficiently and more focused for the member states' citizens.

Referring to the CVM (Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, ed. n.) the Senate's head reminded the importance of the European Commission's support and cooperation in "closing without delay this stage that acts like a lien on Romania's status as full member of the EU," the release says.

"The decision of the Commission to lift the CVM is awaited to put an end to the current situation in which Romania is assessed in parallel through several same goals tools," Popescu-Tariceanu said.

He also specified that "the Commission's reports issued in the last years have confirmed that most of the CVM's objectives were appropriately internalised in the national policies and strategies, a situation also confirmed by the conclusions of the Research on the evaluation of the 10 years of CVM in BG and RO (Bulgaria and Romania, ed. n.) carried out by the Committee for budget control (CONT) with the European Parliament, presented on 29 January 2018."

Calin Popescu-Tariceanu told Frans Timmermans the wish to continue the dialogue, in Bucharest and Brussels, and expressed confidence that through a tight coordination with the EC, the Romanian authorities will be able to successfully fulfill their role at European level through exercising the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2019, the release concludes.