The Romanian Justice Ministry is challenging the conclusion of a national report on corruption in Romania put up by Transparency International – Romania and published May 1, a document that rises questions about much of the progress reported in the field of Justice reform and the fight against corruption over the past year.

The TI report warns the progress in combating graft was significantly slow in Romania in the period of March 2005-March 2006 as the sanctioning of acts of corruption was stagnating.

It also says the National Anti-Corruption Department (DNA, formerly known as PNA) had a low capacity of action and the political class had a tendency to protect itself from creating precedents in this field.

The Justice Ministry has replied that over 90% of measures included in the national anti-corruption strategy were applied in the mentioned period, instead of 60% as TI claims. And it quotes European Commission reports over the past several months showing the system is functioning well, contrary to TI stagnation claims.

The head of the DNA, Daniel Morar, also challenged the TI findings and said he did not understand why an organization such as Transparency International would consider the evaluation of professional performance among DNA employees would be a bad thing.

He also said some 73% of DNA workers are aged 45 or less, contrary to TI claims that the institution is dominated 70% by old people connected to the Communist-style system that has dominated the judicial area in post-1989 Romania.