The European Commission has ratcheted up pressure on Romania, due to concerns that it is breaching fundamental EU values, writing to warn Bucharest that it will launch rule-of-law proceedings if the situation does not improve.
The Commission spokesman, Margaritis Schinas, made the announcement on Monday, commenting on a letter sent to Bucharest on Friday.
“If the necessary improvements are not made or if further negative steps are taken … the commission will trigger the rule of law framework without delay,” Schinas said.
The process aims to avoid triggering Article 7 of the EU’s treaty, which can ultimately lead to a member state being stripped of its voting rights.
Poland and Hungary are already subject to this mechanism.
The EU’s executive has criticised Romania in recent months for backsliding on commitments to uphold judicial independence and tackle corruption.
Adding to the concerns, Romanian lawmakers approved legislation in April that, once implemented, would cut the statute of limitations and decriminalise bribe payments in certain corruption cases.
Since Romania joined the EU in 2007, it has been subject to annual rule-of-law reviews, making its entry into the Schengen passport-free travel zone conditional on meeting EU standards.
The commission’s last report in November, “identified serious issues concerning reduced legal guarantees for judicial independence,” says the letter sent by commission Vice President, Frans Timmermans, noting that recent developments have “further exacerbated” the situation.
Romania holds the EU’s rotating six-month presidency, but the country is dogged by political infighting between the Social Democrat-led government of Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and President Klaus Iohannis, who is aligned with the Liberals.
