March 12 (SeeNews) - The European Commission first vice president Frans Timmermans has again urged Romania to get back on track in its anti-corruption fight and stop interfering with magistrates' independence.
"I clearly said that I want to talk with representatives of the Romanian government regarding recommendations issued by the Commission in the CVM [Cooperation and Verification Mechanism] report. We want to ensure that there is progress in the Romanian justice system, we want to ensure that the fight against corruption will continue, because this is very important for the future of this country," the EU official said in a televised statement ahead of a meeting with prime minister Viorica Dancila on Monday.
"The problem is that since we published the CVM I've seen no progress."
Timmermans came on a visit to Romania also to be awarded a Doctor Honoris Cause degree from by the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA).
During his acceptance speech, Timmermans said Romania could have had Ukraine's fate if it had not entered the EU in 2007.
"I can tell I saw Romania with my own eyes, and it was completely different in the late 80s and early 90s. If you told me at that time that Romania would be a member of the European Union in 2007, I would have said - I have to have you committed to a mental hospital - but the Romanian people have made it possible. And the rest of the EU has made it possible. And that is a historical event. There is no doubt in my mind had we not taken this historical step, what Putin is doing now in Ukraine, he would be doing in Romania," Timmermans said.
The Commission first vice president also said that Romania has a responsibility to put the CVM phase behind.
"The mechanism was created to solve problems that should have been solved before Romania's membership and we are still talking about them, 12 years afterwards," Timmermans stressed.
In February, the European Commission said Romania does not have jurisdiction in a probe opened by a special prosecuting unit for magistrates against Timmermans and other top EU top officials.
A special unit tasked with investigating magistrates and justice-related crimes announced it has launched a probe into a complaint against Timmermans, EC vice president Vera Jourova, European justice commissioner Angela Cristea and Romanian prosecutor general Augustin Lazar. The officials are suspected of organised crime grouping, abuse of service, intellectual forgery, spreading false information, all related to a suspected 'forgery' of the CVM report published in November.
At the time, Romania's ruling Social Democrat-led coalition criticised the report saying it was too harsh and did not reflect reality. The report expressed concern over the justice ministry's repeated attempts to amend legislation in a way that impacts the rule of law and the fight against corruption in Romania.
Last month, the government approved an emergency decree which changes justice bills, sparking further criticism from the European Commission, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis and opposition parties.
Thousands of Romanians protested for two Sundays in a row against the decree which they believe is weakening the country's fight against corruption. Magistrates across the country are also currently protesting against the changes, even if the government repealed a provision of the decree allowing judges to head prosecuting units.