European Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso urged the Romanian Parliament again on Tuesday that a draft law for the establishment of a body to monitor and sanction the wealth of elected officials be adopted in its initial form, which has already been rejected in preliminary phase of the parliamentary procedures.

Barroso made the statement following talks with Romanian President Traian Basescu in Brussels today. He said Basescu assured him the situation evolved in a positive director and said the ongoing political tensions in Bucharest were normal for a democratic country.

He refused to link the current political situation in Romania, where the head of state and its Democratic Party supporters have been clashing with the opposition and their Liberal partners in the government, with Romania’s duties as a member of the EU.

He raised the issue of the National Integrity Agency - whose role would be to make sure that politicians do not abuse their office to accumulate wealth illegally - after a draft law pushed by Justice minister Monica Macovei was considerably diluted in the Parliament.

Barroso insisted Romania had to pursue reforms and meet its EU commitments after the EU accession and recommended authorities in Bucharest to improve the country’s capacity to absorb EU development and investment funds.