Preliminary assessment of the second payment request of Romania

framework within the RRP milestone timeframe). The second pillar shall include policies to strengthen institutional capacity concerning resources, processes and management, and shall include policies on the quality and efficiency of services in the judiciary, such as: a) efficient use of human resources (e.g. workload) Policies to strengthen the institutional capacity concerning resources can be found under several strategic objectives, such as: (i) A.3 Improving the human resources policy for the judiciary (pages 13 and 44-48 of the Strategy); (ii) A.5 Strengthening the institutional capacity of the Superior Council of Magistracy and its subordinated institutions (pages 15 and 50-53 of the Strategy); and (iii) strategic objective A.8 Strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Justice and its subordinated institutions (pages 17-18 and 56-72 of the Strategy). Relevant measures listed under these strategic objectives are: (i) continuous training of judges,

prosecutors, court auditors and staff; (ii) adapting the curricula for training programmes for magistrates, with an emphasis on the importance in their practical preparation; (iii) filling vacant positions of judges and prosecutors in the judiciary; and (iv) creating additional posts for auxiliary staff, such as court clerks and IT specialists, and public prosecutor’s offices. b) the policy of optimisation of the court infrastructure, including physical infrastructure The policy of the optimisation of the court infrastructure is tackled in strategic objective A.4 Improving the functioning of the courts by conducting a thorough analysis to assess courts’ performances, by defining and implementing a unitary methodology for the evaluation of stakeholder, and by elaborating an integrated complaints system (pages 14 and 48-50 of the Strategy). Moreover, this policy of optimisation of court infrastructure is also described in strategic objective B.1 Improving citizens’ access to justice and to legal aid by increasing access to the public judiciary service (pages 18-20 and 73-83 of the Strategy).

c) digital transformation – through the following measures: (i) digital interaction of the litigant and any interested entity with the judiciary, Measures of this kind include technological upgrade of the IT infrastructure of the judicial system or transition to an electronic case management system adapted to the needs of the judiciary, including with e-Evidence Digital Exchange System (eEDES), eCODEX and can be found under specific objectives 2.5 and 2.8 (pages 11-12 and 35–44 of the Strategy), under strategic objective A.2 Improving the quality and the efficiency of the justice system through digital transformation; (ii) electronic signature and electronic seal Measures of this kind include the analysis and update of the legal framework in force with a view to generalising the use of electronic files, signatures and electronic seals by judges, prosecutors, clerks, court officers and major partners (lawyers, notaries, bailiffs). These can

be found under specific objective 2.1 General use of the electronic file, signature and electronic seal within the judicial system (pages 12 and 34 of the Strategy), under strategic objective A.2 Improving the quality and the efficiency of the justice system through digital transformation (iii) availability of improved data communication for e-file (which is an option for litigants to electronically access the judicial files) (iv) elaboration of a cross judicial sector strategy for the digitisation of the physical archive Measures of this kind include the purchase of IT platforms, hardware and software, as well as services for the establishment/use of the electronic file in compliance with cybersecurity standards in the strategy (e.g., The Romanian Police Inspectorate, the Organized Crime Directorate, the National Anticorruption Directorate etc.). These can be found under the objective 2.6 The transition to an electronic case management system adapted to the needs

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