Preliminary assessment of the first payment request of Romania

The objective of reform 6 is to step up the fight against corruption through subsequent milestones, by: i) adopting the national strategic framework for its prevention and repression; ii) strengthening the capacity of the institution competent to combat it, namely the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA); iii) recovering the damage and proceeds of crime, to strengthen integrity in the civil service; iv) ensuring an efficient system for declaring assets and interests.

Milestone 426 requires the adoption of an Anti-Corruption Strategy (“the Strategy”) by government decision and constitutes the first part of Reform 6. Romania committed to implement at least 70% of the measures foreseen in the strategy by 31 December 2025 (Target 428). Evidence provided:

In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following evidence was provided: 1. Summary document justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled. The document moreover includes links to the website where the strategy can be accessed. 2. Copy of the publication in the Official Journal No. 1218 of 22 December 2021 of the Government Decision GD 1269/2021 approving the Strategy. 3. Copy of the adopted strategy (as annex to GD 1269/2021), including a summary of the policies and measures envisaged. Analysis:

The following elements have been addressed:

   The anti-corruption strategy contains 127 measures organised in 5 general objectives and 19
    specific objectives, 16 more than those set out in the CID Annex.

   As required by the CID Annex, the Strategy sets out five general objectives (detailed from pg. 26
    to pg. 40): (1) increasing implementation of anti-corruption measures; (2) reducing the impact
    of Corruption on citizens; (3) strengthening integrity management and administrative capacity
    to prevent and fight corruption; (4) strengthening integrity in priority areas; (5) improving the
    performance of the fight against corruption by criminal and administrative means.

   At the level of the specific objective (“SO”), the Strategy aims at training staff of central and
    local public authorities and representatives of the private sector on environmental integrity
    issues (SO 4.8, Measure 1), in line with the CID Annex. The Ministry of Justice moreover
    commits to work with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the Supreme Council of
    Magistracy, the National Institute of Magistracy NMI, the Ministry of Environment and the
    General Inspectorate for Immigration to develop a curriculum for the training of practitioners
    involved in preventing and combating environmental crime. The curriculum would include
    issues on preventing and combating related corruption (SO 4.8, Measure 3).

   The Strategy aims at allocating a new DNA seat and provide with the necessary financial
    resources for the fitting-out of the new premises, which is appropriate also in the light of the
    support structure of the European Public Prosecutor's Office and the Technical Service to be
    developed (SO 5.1, Measure 2). It moreover commits to the development of the DNA Technical
    Service, including at territorial level (3 area centres, with staff of the allocated 90 police officers
    mentioned in SO 5.1, Measure 4) (SO 5.1, Measure 3) and to provide the financial and human
    resources needed to support investigations into high-level corruption cases – in particular, by
    allocating and budgeting an additional 90 judicial police officers in DNA (SO 5.1, Measure 4).

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