Toetreding Roemenië tot de Europese Unie in 2007 lijkt onzeker (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A report adopted on Thursday 19 February by the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee says that Romania needs a new accession strategy in order to cope with the remaining reforms before EU membership.

This could delay the closure of EU talks with the country (foreseen to end this year), and actual membership envisaged for 2007.

However, today's wording replaces a much tougher draft proposal put forward by two MEPs who were urging the European Commission to suspend the current EU membership negotiations with the country.

That proposal, drafted last month by the Dutch MEP Arie Oostlander and the Parliament's rapporteur for Romania, Emma Nicholson, called for the suspension of the negotiations in their current form and a delay until the country is really able to join the EU.

Today's report was modified so that it calls on the European Commission to "reorient the accession strategy" of Romania.

However, Mrs Nicholson told Romanian press that in this particular context, a reorientation or a suspension of the negotiations mean the same thing.

The Romanians are putting a positive spin on things. Romanian chief negotiator Vasile Puscas welcomed the new wording and said that the new approach by the European Parliament towards Romania is "constructive".

Every day counts

"Every day counts" is the new Romanian motto for 2007 EU accession. But the authorities in Bucharest are now being highly criticised for not having halted widespread corruption.

The report asks the country to eradicate corruption and to establish a rule of law by separating the judiciary from politics.

Mrs Nicholson pointed out that the country needs more time, more attention and more money in order to be able to do this and therefore needs a new accession strategy.

The adopted report also demands better monitoring of the actual implementation of the acquis communautaire - the body of EU law - in the field of administrative reform and judicial reform. These two areas have been Romanian's weak points since the beginning of the talks with the EU.

The European Commission, which recently rebuked Bucharest for allowing the continued adoption of Romanian children abroad despite a moratorium on the practice, has already expressed its support for the call.