BUCHAREST (Romania), February 1 (SeeNews) – The lack of transparency in adopting legislative changes in justice sends a strong negative wave of mistrust and uncertainty, internally and externally, American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham in Romania) said on Wednesday.
"AmCham Romania expresses its deep disappointment regarding the reasoning, adopting procedure, provisions and effects of the Emergency Ordinance 13/2017 and of the project to amend the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedural Code," AmCham said in a press release.
Some 50,000 people protested on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in Bucharest and other Romanian cities against the government which issued a controversial emergency decree easing or eliminating penalties for corruption. The government also decided to send to parliament a draft pardon bill which, if adopted, will set free inmates serving sentences of up to five years for non-violent crimes.
Protests were still undergoing on Wednesday at 13.00 CET in Piata Victoriei square, in front of the government building.
"It is extremely worrying for the business community and society as a whole, that legislative pieces with such moral, societal and economic implications with immediate and long term effects are adopted by the Government without observing the minimum requirements of transparency in decision-making," AmCham added.
The institution also noted that Romania's firm anti-corruption efforts had a major contribution to the country’s recent development, rating and attractiveness for investments. Thus, the current decisions cancel the accomplishments of the past years and increases Romania’s country risk, it said.
"In AmCham’s view, the adopted legislation undermines the rule of law and derail from the fundamental principles of transparency, stability and predictability and strays Romania from the European values and standards."
AmCham Romania has over 400 members - U.S., international and Romanian companies, both large corporations and medium and small enterprises, which sustain some 250,000 jobs in Romania and invested in the country some $20 billion (18.5 billion euro) since 1993.
($= 0.9269 euro)