At meeting with EC deputy head Timmermans, Senate Chairman Tariceanu says it's time to lift CVM

Senate Chairman Calin Popescu-Tariceanu met on Thursday in Brussels with European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, with talks focusing on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM), risks to democracy and the violation of the citizens' rights and freedoms generated by the protocols between the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) and judicial institutions, as well as on the need for the observance of Constitutional Court rulings. 

Tariceanu gave an extensive presentation of the negative effects of the protocols between the SRI and the judicial institutions, as they divert the fight against corruption and cause slippages as regards the protection of the citizens' rights and freedoms and the fundamental right to a fair trial, the Senate said in a release. 

Calin Popescu-Tariceanu voiced confidence that there would be a public message from the European Commission condemning the protocols, the release said. 

"Romania embarked on a a marathon and every time it was close to the finish the rules were changed and we had to start all over again. We started with four recommendations and now we have 12. So we ran the marathon three times and are now asked to run an extra stretch. On the one hand, I think the Mechanism risks becoming inefficient, and on the other hand, I think it's time we admitted that the CVM has achieved its purpose and lift it," said the head of the Senate, paraphrasing the metaphor of the marathon runner who is just 100 m away from the finish line mentioned by the EC First Vice-President during his visit to Bucharest on March 1. 

Tariceanu also pointed out that Parliament, as the lawmaking and top representative body, is the institution that has the legitimacy and responsibility to take action in order to make sure that such "undemocratic practices" do not repeat, ie adopt laws that ensure the independence of justice and respect for the citizens' rights and freedoms. 

In this context, Tariceanu emphasized that legislative changes in the judiciary, including the amendment of the Criminal Codes, will be in line with the rulings of the Constitutional Court of Romania, the European directives on the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial, as well as with the recommendations of the Venice Commission. The Senate Chairman also expressed concern over President Klaus Iohannis's delaying "and basically refusing to put into practice the recent decision of the Constitutional Court, which sends a negative signal about support to the rule of law and constitutional order." 

Tariceanu's meeting with Timmermans, who is also in charge of better regulation, interinstitutional relations, the rule of law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights was occasioned by the Senate head's attending the informal meeting of the leaders of the parties represented in the ALDE Group of the European Parliament.