JusMin Toader: EC First Vice-President clearly stated that implementation of Article 7 is out of question

Justice Minister Tudorel Toader stated that First Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) Frans Timmermans said it clearly during a meeting he had on Tuesday in Strasbourg with Romania's delegation, led by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, "that the issue of article 7 is out of the question." 

"The First Vice-President of the European Commission told, with subject and predicate, that the issue of article 7 is out of the question, its enactment is out of the question because Romania is in another hypothesis, a situation other than Hungary or Poland. Therefore, I repeat, the First Vice-President said very clearly: this issue is out of the question," Tudorel Toader told Antena 3 private television station. 

In Toader's view, the meeting with the First Vice-President of the European Commission was "constructive," voicing hope that it will also continue on that note on Wednesday. 

"I say it was a very constructive meeting. An open meeting, a debate, a principled and correct dialogue. Why do I say this? There was no question of any reproach from one side or the other. Firstly, it was emphasised the need of a constant dialogue, the collaboration between Romania's Government, Romania and the Commission, through the Commission's First Vice-President, because, in the end, we have a common journey, a goal, a shared obligation and desire this European construction, the strengthening of the rule of law, generally speaking," the Minister stated. 

He mentioned that among the topics tackled within the meeting there were also the irreversibility of the European legislative process and the European path, the guarantee of fundamental rights and freedoms, the protocols between intelligence services and various judicial authorities, the implementation of the recommendations of the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism [CVM], the justice laws, as well as the democratic standards established by the Venice Commission and the preparations for Romania to take over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the Union. 

Toader was keen to point out that Romania's Government didn't go to Strasbourg in order to "receive indications." 

"The relation between Romania as a member state of the European Union and the Commission is established through the accession documents. We have this Co-operation and Verification Mechanism and I reconfirm that, at a certain point, I asked the Commission to explain the 12 recommendations so that we know what we need to do, what we have to fulfill. Let nobody thing that (...) we went to Strasbourg and got instructions, directions. We have a constant dialogue, I repeat, a constructive one, we help each other, we cooperate, the Commission and Romania's Government collaborate, but we don't go to receive indications, advices and points," Justice Minister stated.