EU official slams plans to change Romania’s justice system

BUCHAREST, Romania – A European Union official has voiced concern about Romanian government plans to change the country’s justice system that critics say will dampen the anti-corruption fight.

Angela Cristea, who heads the European Commission in Romania, said Wednesday she was “concerned about proposals…. that could affect the independence of the justice system.”

She noted progress Romania has made in prosecuting high-level corruption but added any measure that undermines this “could dilute or minimalize” the definition of corruption.

The criticism follows similar statements from the U.S. and German embassies in Romania about the proposals.

Last week, Justice Minister Tudorel Toader recommended having the president no longer appoint the general prosecutor and the chief anti-corruption prosecutor, one of the office’s main functions. He also suggested punishing prosecutors and judges for erroneous rulings and prosecutions.