Newspapers today comment on Petrom, the biggest Romanian oil company that, through its privatization process, allegedly breached the EU internal market rules. Thus, CE is expected to initiate a warning over Romania's compliance with the accession treaty.

Also in the news today, Romanian former Justice Minister Monica Macovei talks about current developments in the Justice sector regarding the National Integrity Administration, considered by EU officials as an important progress in terms of Justice reforms.

And one newspaper informs on the lack of progress on Black Sea cooperation, seen as a border for both NATO and the EU. Such regional cooperation can be a determining factor in safeguarding energy security.

The European Union accuses Romania of breaching the acession treaty on internal economic rules in the case of Petrom’s privatization, informs Cotidianul. The biggest Romanian oil company, Petrom was sold to the Austrian OMV group in 2004.

However, Romania still retains 40.7% of total shares and maintained its right to veto in the company’s Board. Romania’s veto power is seen as a breach of the internal EU market rules and sparked fierce reactions from Brussels officials, according to the newspaper.

Gandul goes even further in analyzing the issue and suggests that Romania’s veto power, known as the ‘golden action’ is also used in France and it is seen as a protectionist measure by the European officials.

Elsewhere in the news today, former Minister of Justice, Monica Macovei, talks for Cotidianul about the latest developments in the justice sector.

Macovei signals the fact that a decision of the Court of Justice to send the cases containing both military personnel and civilians to civil courts will overdue the deadline of the process which automatically causes the case to be classified.

On talking about the law of the National Integrity Administration (ANI), seen as a real step ahead to a better judicial system by the EU, Macovei warns that the elected board of this body - aimed at keeping the wealth of dignitaries in check - has every chance to be politically controlled.

Plus, the former Minister of Justice says that another gap in the ANI law is the fact that the investigated individuals have the right to refuse without a motivation an expertise of their wealth.

Talking about gaps, Romania Libera discusses Romania’s interest in developing the status the Black Sea region. The paper implies that governmental officials, even though they recognize the importance of the corridor, are undermining the potential of the region through non-action.

Sources quoted by the paper talk about the Black Sea as an opportunity for a better regional cooperation to enhance all the potential of the corridor. Among recommended action: an increasing involvement in the energy transportation infrastructure in a time where Russia is seeking such an infrastructure diversity.

Romanian officials should grasp also the economic importance of the region and ask for EU support in sketching strategic actions to be taken regarding the area.

o in the papers today:

• Evenimentul Zilei reports that the godfather of Romania’s former Justice Minister Monica Macovei is to be a board member in the National Integrity Administration that is supposed to control the wealth of politicians.

• Romania Libera informs that a EU report on the progress of Romania and Bulgaria since their accession, which is due tomorrow, will not call for a safeguard clause for Romania.

• Evenimentul Zilei informs that Liberals want to reduce the Parliamentary threshold from 5 to 2 % if the uninominal voting is to be implemented.