Delegation of Venice Commission in Romania on Monday

A delegation of the Venice Commission is coming to Bucharest on Monday for a two-day visit, with the discussions focused on the justice laws amendments. The representatives of the committee will meet president Klaus Iohannis, representatives of the Justice Ministry, National Anti-corruption Directorate, General Prosecutor’s Office, Superior Council of Magistracy, the Supreme Court, but also with the MPs of the Iordache special committee (that is debating the justice laws amendments) and with the organizations of magistrates and with other NGOs.

A press release issued by the Venice Commission also says that both the Romanian President and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe have requested the Commission’s stance on the three justice laws: the CSM Law, the Judicial organization law and the Statute of judges and prosecutors.

Ten days ago, Liberal National Party (PNL) chairman Ludovic Orban announced that the party will kick off the procedure to notify the Venice Commission over the amendments to be operated on the Criminal Code.

„We have decided today that PNL will start the procedure to notify the Venice Commission through the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), more precisely through the Monitoring and Legal Affairs committees, on the proposals to amend the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code in Romania. We consider that a stance of the Venice Commission is absolutely necessary in this case. We resort to this procedure for, unfortunately, the parliamentary majority has refused this time as well the request filed by the PNL parliamentary group, that the Parliament should notify the Venice Commission before debating and passing the amendments on the criminal laws. We hope this time, too, that PACE will endorse this initiative which is as legitimate as possible and as normal as possible for a country that is a member of the European Union,” Orban said at the end of the party’s executive bureau.

On April 26, PACE’s Monitoring Commission has Okayed the PNL’s request asking  the Venice Commission to express a point of view on the amendments proposed by PSD-ALDE ruling coalition to the justice laws.