There is an advancement of reforms at the technical level, but it has to be supported by political will, the European Commission declared back in 2009. However, at the time, the report read that reform efforts are too fragmented and the process politicized. Romania did not maintain the reform rythme set in May 2009, the last report in March 2010 read. Between this evaluation and the report expected on Tuesday, the National Integrity Agency was amputed, two Constitutional judges accused f corruption and some judicial codes adopted.

The reform of the judicial system is limited and the anticorruption fight is delayed in high corruption cases, the European Commission showed in its March report. Meanwhile, Romania made steps both forward and downward.

ANI, a step back

It is obvious from the previous documents that for the Commission, the well functioning of the National Integrity Agency (ANI) was a priority and for some time, it seemed that Romania did well at this chapted. However, the amputation of the institutions' abilities triggered unrest in Brussels.

We are preocupied by ANI, which needs a legislative status that would garantee its complete independence and possibility to make investigations, EC President Jose Manuel Barroso declared in April after a lunch meeting with President Basescu.

The ANI law was sent for reexamination at the Constitutional Court by President Basescu on grounds of unconstitutionality six days. Because the Court ruled it unconstitutional, the law will return in the Chamber of Deputies where the coalition has a comforting majority. There, the law still has a chance to take the shape wanted by the Commission.

The adoption of procedure codes - a necessary progress

Among the Commission's recommendations for Romania was the adoption of the civil and penal civil codes and their implementation legislation and the impact studies. This has been fulfilled by Bucharest as President Basescu passed the two codes on June 30.

Anti-corruption fight - a step back?

In the anti-corruption fight, there were no notable progresses registered. There was the case of the Romanian Senator Catalin Voicu which involved two corrupt Higher Court of Justice judges.